International Vulture Day Celebrated in Blagaj
Every year, September 3rd is celebrated worldwide as International Vulture Day. This year, the Youth Club Novi Val Blagaj and the Ornithological Society “Naše ptice” marked the occasion by celebrating 16 years since the start of the reintroduction project for the Griffon Vulture in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
International Vulture Day aimed to highlight the very difficult state of vulture populations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and globally. It was also an opportunity to address the factors affecting the survival of this group of birds.
One of the most impressive colonies was located above Tekija in Blagaj. In 1991, a poisoning incident occurred in Blagaj when a person, intending to protect their goat herd from wolves, poisoned a goat in hopes of killing the wolf. However, this resulted in the poisoning of nearly all the vultures inhabiting the area.
Since 2007, the Youth Club Novi Val has been working on the return of Griffon Vultures to their natural habitats, specifically in the Blagaj area.
Since October 2021, Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with six other Balkan countries, has joined the Balkan Detox Life project, aimed at combating illegal animal poison
ing.
Some of the key project activities include ensuring the engagement of relevant government institutions and raising public awareness among all stakeholders, from decision-makers and citizens to those who use poisons on animals.
During this event, citizens had the opportunity to learn about the status of vulture populations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the issue of animal poisoning, which is one of the main causes of vulture extinction in the country and a significant trigger for the endangerment of these animals worldwide.
