Previous Population and Distribution
Bearded Vultures were once found in almost all mountain ranges of southern Europe and in t/he Alps. Probably no other raptor made such a deep impression on people, as is shown by the numerous fables and legends concerning this majestic bird. The bearded vulture was considered a blood-thirsty killer, which would not hesitate to pick children off. The payment of rewards for shooting and capturing led to systematic persecution.
Other reasons for the decline and, in some parts, extermination of the species were the use of poisoned baits, shooting for zoological collections and, in some areas, insufficient food resources.In the Alps Bearded Vultures were exterminated in the course of the 19th century. They managed to survive just a little longer in the western Alps where the last individual was shot in 1913 in the Aosta valley, Italy.
Current Population and Distribution
In Europe Bearded Vultures survive presently only in the Pyrenees, Corsica and Crete, with some individuals left on mainland Greece. These remnant populations are severely endangered. Approximately 100 breeding pairs exist in Europe today. Since 1986 a re-introduction project is running in the Alps. Currently about 100 Bearded Vultures belong to the breeding stock of the project and natural reproduction has already taken place.
From 1973 Bearded Vultures have been regularly bred at the Alpenzoo Innsbruck (A). Inspired by this breeding success in the middle of the seventies onwards W. Walter's (WWF Austria) initiated information of a group of scientists from all alpine countries. With the aid of the Frankfurt Zoological Society, WWF and IUCN this group founded in 1978 at Morges (CH) the "International Project for the Reintroduction of the Bearded Vulture into the Alps".
Only captive bred young would be used for release in order to preserve the endangered populations in the wild. Since 1992, the international project has been led by the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture, established by the founders of the project. In the mid-80’s a European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) was started including zoological gardens keeping Bearded Vultures. In Vienna (A) a central breeding centre (Vienna Breeding Unit) was created, to coordinate breeding activities and to form new pairs. Other breeding centres exists in Haute-Savoie (F) and in Goldau (CH).