International Vulture Awareness Day 2012 in Zoo of Münster

During the last weeks and months I was very stressed and not able to organize a big event for International Vulture Awareness Day 2012. However I wanted to celebrate the most important day of the year. 

Who else officially took part with special events you can find out on the website of the International Vulture Awareness Day 2012. In Germany there were just the world greatest birdpark "Weltvogelpark Walsrode" and me celebrating our beloved vultures. But, well, in Germany we don't really have wild vultures, I guess that's why noone really knows about the International Vulture Awareness Day.

But let's talk about my spontaneous event: Of course I wanted to share this special day with vultures, somewhere in a zoo. I decided to go to the Allwetter Zoo Münster (all weather zoo) where eight Eurasian Griffon Vultures, two Eurasian Black Vultures and two Secretary Birds are living together in a very huge enclosure.

The most important criterion was a bench infront of the enclosure, where you can comfortable sit and watch the vultures all day. And it's a good place to get into a conversation with other visitors, who stop to watch the vultures or take pictures.

My sis, my little niece and me tried to get in contact to the visitors and told them about International Vulture Awareness Day. NOONE ever heard about this important day! Educational work is badly necessary to get people aware of vultures and Vulture Day! Whenever we got into a conversation we asked the visitors to write down positive thoughts about vultures on my best vulture pics of the Croatian vulture rescue centre Eko-Centar Caput Insulae Beli, the South African vulture rescue centre VulPro and the Zoo of Duisburg.

 

Some visitors even wrote down different positive things and we talked for a while. In this conversations I did my best to make some good promotion for vultures and raise vulture's awareness. Well, I guess an exhibition stand close to the enclosure would be much better to attract more people... But what is sure is that when there is just one person at the end of the day who started thinking about vultures in a positive way and will pay more attention to them in the future, I achieved my main goal!!!

 

the cute and totally in love Eurasian Black Vulture couple was very busy unseasonably building a nest all day. But they seemed to be interested in our event, too, 'cause every now and then they came close to our bench.

All in all, besides our event, there was enough time to observe and enjoy the beautiful vultures inside the enclosure. I especially loved the view, when the majestic Eurasian Griffon Vultures flew down from their nesting wall, square to our bench, sometimes even at eye level. Amazing!!!
Whenever people took part in our Vulture Day event we gave a self-made vulture badge as a thank-you gift. The people really liked is and proudly presented our vulture badges by pinning it on their clothes ;-) Katja, thank you very, very much for your adorable portrait of "The Lady" we were allowed to use!!!
Hereinafter some impressions of our International Vulture Awareness Day 2012:

"Carrion go!"

"Vultures are super!!!" (Matilda, 1,5 years old, always tries to imitate their gait)

"Vultures are a health police. They eat left-overs."

"A very royal animal."

"Vultures are really awesome and very special animals." (Eva Romy, 5 years old)

"Very funny."

"Proud... Noble"

"Many vultures." (...were living in the zoos enclosure)

"Impressive wingspan."

"FREEDOM!"

"Gorgeous"

"Imposing."

"Vultures have a great wingspan."

"Vultures are very awesome animals."

"Very awesome."

"Are looking very funny... impressive."

"Vultures eat meat."

"Vultures clean up in Africa, America, Europe and Asia."

"Bearded Vultures eat bones."

All these beautiful pictures and compliments will be a wonderful vulture-collage.

Our thank-you vulture badges (photo topmodel "The Lady", Eurasian Black Vulture living in Belgium).

Now I am waiting for the feedback of my second International Vulture Awareness Day 2012 event... Of course I will report about it in a few days.
With this in mind: Triple "Carrion go!" to all vultures on this planet!!!

Cute Cape Vulture chick at VulPro

Wonderful news from VulPro in South Africa!!! After more and more eggs were laid in the Cape Vulture breeding enclosure of VulPro the cute littles chicks start hatching now!!!
The most wonderful news I got today: My favourite Cape Vulture couple became proud parents! Don't they look entirely happy and proud??? How excited they are observing and protecting their egg, where you can see the little egg tooth breaking the shell... hard job, it took 45 hours!

This vulture couple grew dear to my heart in February, because they both have amputated wings - on the opposite side. Although being handicapped the two vultures are deeply in love like no other vulture-couple! Whenever I brought nesting material to the enclosure this couple took the best branches and their nest was getting more and more beautiful. Because of the amputated wings the two vultures are not able to fly. That's why they built their nest on the ground under some perches. That's more dangerous for egg and chick then a nest on the nesting rock, but the vultures were sacrificially protecting their nest  all the time.

Today, early afternoon, the vulture couple got rewarded and a cute, tiny vulture chick came into the world!!! See!?

VulPro, thank you very much for authorizing me using your beautiful pictures for my blog!

You are really doing a wonderful job to protect this amazing species!!!
By the way, if everything goes well the new born Cape Vultures will be released in Namibia, where no more breeding pairs are living and Cape Vultures are nearly extinct!

WANTED ALIVE

Thanks to Warren for this poster supporting vultures and VulPro!!!

We are losing our birds!

Today I got horrible news from VulPro in South Africa.
At the moment VulPro is spending some weeks undertaking the annual Cape Vulture breeding counts for the four largest Cape Vulture colonies and helping out with some smaller sites.
Sad reality: Only 200 breeding pairs of Cape Vultures are left at the Skeerpoort colony, 3 at Robert's Farm and 73 at Nooitgedacht. Making a grand total for the Magaliesberg Cape Vultures of 276 breeding pairs - an all time low number since VulPro have been involved in the monitoring of this species for this area :-( In 2011 there were just over 300 breeding pairs for the Magaliesberg!
Not alone Kerri of VulPro fears: "Guys, we are losing our birds!" 

Just take a minute watching this amazing creatures....

... Do we really like to lose them???

NO!!!!!

VulPro is doing a wonderful job in South Africa! The next picture remembers the release of a beautiful Cape Vulture at Nooitgedacht in February 2012.

I am still overjoyed for the great privilege of taking part in this wonderful moment in a young vultures life! And I pray there will be vultures circling in the sky for all eternity!!! That's why Kerri and me and all vulture fans appeal to the world: "There is so much that has to be done to save this species!!!"

Please share this sad news with as many people as possible! The more exposure and awareness for the species the better!!!