Fritz et al. 2019
Fritz J, Unsoeld M & Voelkl B (2019)
Back into European Wildlife: The Reintroduction of the Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita)
Bookchapter in: Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums: Their Role in Conservation and Research (Kaufman AB, Bashaw M, Maple T Edtrs.), Cambridge University Press; ISBN 978-1-316-64865-0. DOI: 10.1017/9781108183147.014
August 26, 2015, 09:40: in the morning after a cold night, the sun warms up and removes the last patches of fog. We are at the airfield of Mauterndorf in the Austrian Alps at 1,100 m above sea level; a team of 14 people and 31 juvenile northern bald ibis. Despite the wonderful surroundings, our mood is rather depressed. Our aim is to lead the group of ibis across the Alps to northern Italy.
Two hours ago, two microlight aircrafts started at the airfield, each with a human foster parent in the back seat. At the beginning, the birds followed them willingly, as we expected them to do. But after ten minutes, the birds headed back to the airfield.
