Bearded vulture Vinzenz flies back to the Alps – a new beginning!

Bearded vulture Vinzenz flies back to the Alps – a new beginning!

The return of a very special mourning gesture has delighted nature lovers in Bavaria: the bearded vulture “Vinzenz” was recently released into the wild. After the impressive bird was captured from the German and Dutch provinces near Oldenburg in mid-June, it has now found its way back to the Alps. Here he was released again in the protective heights of the Hagen Mountains near the Austrian border NDR reported.

The State Association for Bird Protection (LBV) reports that “Vinzenz” was previously cared for in a wildlife sanctuary in Rastede. After a thorough health check, the bird was ready to return to its natural environment. When the transport box was opened, “Vinzenz” didn’t miss it and took to the air on his own. There was great excitement because he had not completed his flight of around 1,600 kilometers unscathed - he lost around ten percent of his body weight, but was uninjured.

Reintroduction and monitoring

But what is the story behind “Vinzenz”? The bearded vulture, which was released into the Berchtesgaden National Park in 2024 as part of a reintroduction project, is part of a WHOLE “ON CALL” campaign that has been running since 2021. As part of this initiative, nature lovers were even able to follow the release of the bearded vultures live via webcam. Equipped with a GPS transmitter, the LBV can now track the movements of “Vinzenz” and his fellow dogs in detail. The routes are currently being monitored by seven bearded vultures, including “Vinzenz” as well as Sisi, Nepomuk and Wiggerl. The published data is provided with a small time lag of three days to protect the birds.

The reintroduction of bearded vultures is not only a success story in the Alps, but an important step towards returning these majestic birds to their original habitats. In the 19th century the bearded vulture was almost extinct. Hunting, poisoning and the decline in their food supply contributed to this decline. The last documented killing of a bearded vulture in the Alps was in 1913, and since then various reintroduction projects have attempted to bring the species back. The first serious approach was made in the French Alps in the 1970s, using mostly young birds from zoos, which turned out to be the way forward.

The challenges of the future

The return of “Vinzenz” is the result of years of efforts to secure the population of bearded vultures. Despite the promising approaches, the challenge for biologists remains to protect birds in a landscape increasingly dominated by humans. Against this background, it is not surprising that investigations are underway against a trapper from the Hildesheim district who captured “Vinzenz”. Hopes rest on “Vinzenz” operating in the Alpine regions in the future and avoiding the dangers in the lowlands.

A look at the progress in the bearded vulture reintroduction shows that there is still a lot to do, but the small successes give us optimism for the future. The LBV is confident that the bearded vultures can once again become part of the Alpine ecosystem and thus ensure more diversity in the region.