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ARCHIVED - Lost and malnourished Griffon vulture rescued from rooftop in Novelda
The disoriented bird of prey was spotted by a neighbour in the Baix Vinalopo municipality, Alicante province
A malnourished and disoriented Griffon vulture was rescued from a rooftop in Novelda by the Guardia Civil, following a tip-off from a concerned resident.
A neighbor noticed the vulture on the wall of a rooftop terrace in the town centre on Sunday September 12, and contacted the Guardia Civil.
A patrol was quickly on the scene and contacted a local falconer who the confirmed the species and its state of malnutrition – given its size, the Griffon vulture needs a sufficiently large space to be able to soar and feed.
The animal was captured and has been transferred to the Santa Faz Wildlife Recovery Centre, where an evaluation of its state of health will be carried out, and conservationists will work to return it to its natural environment.
Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) have wingspans of between 2.4 and 2.8 metres and can live up to 37 years in captivity, but following a decrease of food supplies, the species has decreased significantly in some areas, particularly Spain, according to the Vulture Conservation Fund.
The main cause of mortality of this species is reportedly collisions with wind turbines or electrical infrastructures, followed by malnutrition, especially young specimens.
Another threat they face is poisoned bait. The griffon vulture is one of the few vultures that can be found in Europe, together with the black vulture, the Egyptian vulture and the bearded vulture. Spain has around 90 per cent of the European population, and about 10 per cent of the world population of griffon vultures.
There are reportedly 25,000 breeding pairs on the Iberian Peninsula.
Image: Guardia Civil