Newsletter 21/06/2022
We recently published a paper together with the Egyptologist and our longtime friend Jiří Janák from the Czech Institute of Egyptology at the Charles University in Prague. Jiří has been researching the mythological significance of the Northern Bald Ibis in ancient Egypt for years. In order to be able to interpret the Egyptian depictions, he got in contact with us. This led to an exciting interdisciplinary research, which we published in this paper later on.
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Newsletter 13/06/2022
In the last week, Jane Goodall visited the European LIFE Northern Bald Ibis project. This famous and charismatic scientist revolutionized our society’s thinking about the relationship between humans and animals with her field research on chimpanzees in the 1960s. Jane Goodall DBE and UN Messenger of Peace, is regarded worldwide as a beacon of hope who, even at the age of 88, is still committed to a world worth living in for people, animals, and nature with unbroken optimism.
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Newsletter 01/06/2022
This year we have Northern Bald Ibises of the European release population breeding at four different sites. The most established breeding colonies are in Kuchl, Country of Salzburg (AUT), and in Burghausen, Bavaria (GER). On both sites, birds are breeding at six nests. In the newly established breeding colony Überlingen, Baden-Württemberg (GER), this is the second breeding season with a very pleasing number of seven nests. Furthermore, we have a first breeding pair in our newly established breeding colony in Rosegg, Carinthia (AUT).
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Newsletter 25/05/2022
Numerous partners support the reintroduction of the Northern Bald Ibis in Europe. After successful implementation of the first project supported by the EU from 2014 to 2019, a second LIFE project started in 2022, with 10 partners in four countries under the direction of Zoo Vienna. The project LIFE Northern Bald Ibis aims to establish a self-sustaining European population with more than 360 individuals.
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Newsletter 05/05/2022
Extensive GPS-monitoring of the Northern Bald Ibis (NBI) release population proves that illegal hunting is responsible for about 30% of bird losses in Italy. This substantially affects the population development and endangers the survival of the population every year. In 2021 alone, there was concrete evidence for seven kills. Since in around half of the cases, the exact cause of death cannot be determined, it must be assumed that the actual number of birds shot in Italy is significantly higher.
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Newsletter 22/04/2022
Once again, our project team has been affected by COVID infections. Despite vaccination and protective measures that go beyond the legal requirements, two people have been infected. These circumstances have made it necessary to move the bald ibis from the Zoo Vienna to the camp in Seekirchen am Wallersee prematurely on 21st April. There we can continue to take care of the bald ibises. At the moment, however, only one of the two foster mothers can be on site. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Ackerl family, who always welcome us very spontaneously and warmly to their farm in such emergencies!
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Newsletter 08/04/2022
Even though we have left our newsletters open for a long period of time, we have not been idle. Quite the contrary. We have been preparing for a new, large European LIFE project. The continuation of the project for the next seven years is now secured. Ten partners from Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, under the leadership of the Zoo Vienna will continue to build up the Northern Bald Ibis population, establish new colonies, continue and expand the campaigns against illegal bird hunting and electrocution on unsecured medium-voltage pylons, and implement numerous other species conservation measures. The bald ibis population is expected to become self-sustaining within the project period.
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Newsletter 01/12/2021
After the Überlingen ibises continued to stay in their breeding area and made no attempt to fly south, we decided to transfer the birds to South Tyrol.
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Newsletter 20/11/2021
In the three breeding areas of Burghausen, Kuchl and Rosegg, autumn migration has proceeded well and is largely complete. Moreover, for the first time a large group of 22 birds migrated together from Salzburg to Tuscany. The situation is different, however, for the 31 birds of the Überlingen colony, which are still fully settled in their breeding area. There was a recent departure of a total of 6 ibises. However, the flight stopped near Chur in Switzerland and the birds finally returned to Überlingen.
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