We received information from our colleagues from Turkey that on August 18 2018., two Griffon Vultures with wing markers “15” and “47” were recorded in Bolu Dortean. Both vultures are ours, and they were marked by the Team for marking of the Birds of Prey Protection Foundation in SRN “Uvac”. Vulture with wing marker no. “47” was marked in 2016, and the bird with marker no. “15” in 2017.

Photos of our vultures in Turkey:

Marking the vulture No. “15” on Uvac 2017.

It is our honor and pleasure to invite you to celebrate our small ceremony together with the Griffon Vultures in Trešnjica. The Birds of Prey Protection Foundation is one of the oldest organizations dealing with the protection of endangered species in the country, primarily the Griffon Vultures. It was founded on May 11, 1994, so we want to mark this, for us, a significant day for visiting the Special Nature Reserve “Klisura rijeka Trešnjica”. This is a traditional 27 visits to the Griffon Vultures in the gorge of the Trešnjica River.

– 11.05.2019. At 5 o’clock in the morning, the departure is from bus turner no. 43, at Brankov most in Belgrade.
On arrival in the gorge of the river Trešnjica, we expect a beautiful walk about ten kilometers and descent to the river through the most beautiful part of the gorge. It is also a unique opportunity to visit this place, where is still running drinkable water in the Trešnjica River. In addition to the Vultures, which are the main stars of the excursion and who now have the young, probably we will able to see the Golden Eagle, Falco Peregrinus, Short-toed Snake-eagle, Wallcreeper and a number of rare bird species. Apart from the rare species, you will also enjoy the beauty of the landscape of this store.
– The excursion includes lunch in the gorge of the river Trešnjica.
– The return is scheduled the same day in the evening.

The excursion price for members of the Foundation is 2.000 RSD, and for the others is 2,500 RSD. The deadline for applications is May 8, 2019. The number of places is limited and the application will be valid with payment. You can make payments in the office of Foundation (contact… ») on Thursdays from 11-16h or through the birds of Prey Protection Foundation, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, at OTP banka br. 325-9500900016839-20 with the note “for a trip to Trešnjica”.
Tip: You need solid shoes, as comfortable as possible, preferably hiking boots and raincoats in the case of rain.

For all information there is available the telephone number of the Secretary of the Foundation Vuk Popić: 066 / 413-574 and 011 / 207-83-52.

W E L C O M E !

From the earlier excursions of the Foundation to the gorge of the river Trešnjica

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Dobrila is happily arrived to Uvac. She is located in the aviary of Special Nature Reserve “Uvac” under the supervision of guards – Rangers of Reserve.

Nicely traveled, and when placed in a cage she was not showing signs of stress. Rangers of Reserve Uvac will continue to take care about Dobrila until she is ready to be released. The Birds of Prey Protection Foundation will organize the ceremony of releasing and you will be informed.

Greetings to our dear Rangers!

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12.04.2019. – Our Dobrila happily arrived to Serbia! Today, “Turkish Airlines” transported Dobrila to the airport “Nikola Tesla” in Belgrade, and from there, the Rangers of the Uvac Reserve transferred her to the Special Nature Reserve “Uvac”, where she will stay until the decision to be released. This is the result of a successful campaign launched by the Birds od Prey Protection Foundation from the beginning of the year, when became clear that Dobrila was unable to return to Serbia alone. The response of citizens, as well as state institutions to our call, was a great example of good practice in a joint effort to preserve a Griffon Vulture as part of our natural heritage.

Please take a look at our Gallery about the Dobrila’s trip

We would like thank everyone who helped this action. The “Turkish Airlines” and ambassador Mr. Tanju Bilgic, then the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkey, who took care about Dobrila while she was with them. Also to the Minister, Mr. Goran Trivan, and our institutions to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Institute for Nature Protection, the CITES office, the Uvac Reserve, the Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stankovic”, all of which helped to finish this campaign happily and Dobrila came back to her home country.

We owe special gratitude to donors who responded to our call and paid the money for Dobrila. We had 47 payments and collected exactly 140.950 RSD! From these funds we will buy a satellite transmitter that we intend to put on Dobrila in order to follow her when she is released.

At the beginning of April 2019, an International Workshop on Illegal Poisoning of wild animals was held in Nova Varoša in Serbia, organized by the Vulture Protection Foundation, the Serbian Association for Protection and Study of Birds, the Birds of Prey Protection Foundation from Belgrade, the Serbian Nature Conservation Institute and the Uvac Reserve.

The survival of the vultures in the Balkans and in Europe brought representatives of professional organizations and state institutions from across the region to Uvac. There were representatives of 17 countries.

Our Irena Hribšek at the very beginning presented the status of the Vultures in the Balkans, threats and mortality.

The most important part of the workshop was training by experts from Spain, who have great experience about the fight against illegal poisoning. Subjects such as: collection of samples, autopsy, toxicological analyzes, legal procedures and the application of penal policy were discussed.

One of the slides that best illustrates the current status of the vultures in the Balkans is:

We are proud of the number of populations of our Griffon Vultures and we hope that we will be able to return the lost species so that they can also cruise the Serbian sky, just like the Griffon Vultures.

Our team with dear friends Goran Sušić from the “Grifon – Birds of Prey Conservation Society” and Mr. Michele Terrase from VCF.

Source: Novosti… »
Illegal poisoning of wild animals – the theme of an international workshop that will be held in Novi Varoš the following days, organized by the Foundation for the Protection of Forestry in Switzerland, the Society for the Protection and Study of Birds of Serbia, the Birds of Prey Protection Foundation from Belgrade, the Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia and Reserve Uvac doo from Nova Varos.

The “Balkan anti-poisoning project”, in which the event is organized, aims to make all participating countries a strategy to combat the poisoning of leaf-nurses and other animals, organizers said in a statement on the conservation of bird species.

The birds of prey that experts place in the group of the most vulnerable birds in the world, and their populations are endangered everywhere and are generally reduced by poisoning. Vultures are valuable natural biological wastewater purifiers that prevent the spread of many infections by their diet, some of which are lethal and for humans. In addition to the sanitary role, these birds are deeply embedded in the folklore and culture of the peoples of the Balkans, and in recent years they have become a great motive for the development of sustainable and ecological tourism.

Poisoned vultures in Croatia (Photo: “Grifon – Birds of Prey Conservation Society”)

The survival of vultures in the Balkans and in Europe to Nova Varos will lead representatives of professional organizations and state institutions from across the region. Experts from Greece, Albania, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Spain and Serbia will offer solutions to prevent the poisoning of leaflers and their return to former habitats.

23.03.2019. According to unofficial results of the autopsy of the Griffon Vulture who was found in village Rotošim, and died afterwards is severe pneumonia. So, it is not poisoning, as originally meant.

The Griffon Vulture named “Dobrila” has been caught in Turkey, again! After this female was released and captured on several occasions it turned out that she is not able to return to her homeland on Uvac alone, where she hatched last year. She needs our help! If we can collect sufficient funds and complete the necessary documentation, we will return the bird to Uvac. Dobrila is currently located at the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, and Mr. Burak from this Ministry has informed us that she is in a good condition and that they will keep her until the transport to Serbia.

Dobrila

We are also informed from the CITES office that they will help us to return her home. Unfortunately, there are no funds in the CITES budget for paying Dobrila returns.

Therefore, we would like to ask you to support the action of returning Dobrila to Uvac, so we can collect together enough money for the Dobrila’s transport. Here are the Payment Instructions… EUR» Every donation means a lot to the final goal – a safe Dobrila’s trip home. Thank you!

You can find out more about the whole story here … ».

Marking Dobrila, June 2018 at Uvac.