Ecological tragedy: 9 rare birds found dead in the Central Balkans

Critical situation in Central Balkan National Park

The Wildlife Rescue Centre at "Green Balkans" reported shocking news – the number of dead birds discovered in the national park has reached nine. The case is described as a serious blow to efforts to restore populations of large birds of prey in Bulgaria.

"The scale of the disaster is enormous," commented the experts from the Rescue Centre.

Which species are affected?

The victims of the suspected poisoning are from extremely rare and protected species:

• A pair of cinereous vultures from the Kotel Balkan
• A pair of cinereous vultures from the Vrachanski Balkan
• One cinereous vulture from the Eastern Rhodopes
• Boev – the first bearded vulture released in Bulgaria after the species' absence for decades
• Two griffon vultures
• One raven

Investigation and next steps

The Ministry of Environment and Waters (MOEW) confirmed that the birds were victims of poisoning. Currently, the bodies of the deceased animals have been sent for autopsy to determine the exact toxin that led to the fatal outcome. Law enforcement authorities are actively working on the case to identify the source of the poison and the responsible individuals.