Zoo Ostrava The Annual Report 2009

48
Rearing the cinereous vulture at Ostrava Zoo
Renáta Halfarová
The cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) resides in the mountain ranges of Asia, more rarely those
of Europe, up to 4,000 metres above sea level. This vulture is listed as Near Threatened under the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. The fact that the reared bird could be released into the wild in the French Alps, thus
reinforcing the restoring wild population in Europe is seen as the most important contribution.
In the most recent period, Ostrava Zoo has kept cinereous vultures since 2002, with however setting up
a breeding pair being the issue in the beginning. This was made with success in 2006, when the zoo obtained
a young pair as an exchange for an adult female within the breeding cooperation, i.e. European conservation
breeding programme - EEP. The birds had been successfully put together in Planckendael. Soon after the
import, the birds could be seen getting along very well. The male originates from Arnhem Zoo, where he
hatched on 19 May 2003, while the female hatched in Mulhouse on 10 May 2002. The birds were directly
placed in a shared aviary sized 11.9 by 6.9 m, with the minimum and maximum height of 2.8 m and 4 m,
respectively. As the aviary is located in a common block of aviaries, it was visually separated from the others
using a reed mat installed on its side up to the 1/3 of its height. In the rear highest part, there is a wooden
platform.
During their first nesting season (2007), the birds were showing no special activities; nonetheless, they were
apparently harmonising, grooming and sitting close to each other all the time. The following season (2008),
we supplied softwood and hardwood twigs of varied size, sheep, llama and camel hairs and other nesting
materials into the aviary. The birds were first lacking any interest in this, but in early March, mating was
observed. This time the birds started showing interest finally in the nesting matter as well, which however
took a few days and the nesting activity ended as of mid March. The aviary was checked, with found twigs
collected on the platform, but the nest remained unfinished.
Considering the fact that the birds had reached maturity, the 2009 nesting season was the one with first
serious attempts at nesting expected. Therefore, nothing was left to fortune and the base of the nest was
built by the staff, still retaining the opportunity of finishing by birds. The nest base consisted of birch twigs
arranged on the wooden platform so that they were forming the nest, with conifer twigs added on the top
to make the nest soft. The very top was covered with sheep wool. Nesting materials were thrown around the
nest as well. In late January, the diet was enriched with a higher rate of live food and 1 ml of PROMOTOR per
bird plus PLASTIN added.
At the end of February, both birds became interested in the materials supplied and actively involved in
finishing the nest, so everything looked very promising. Nonetheless, everybody was much surprised seeing
that the female sat down on the nest on 7 March 2009, taking turns with the male in sitting on the eggs in
the beginning. However, seeing a keeper, the birds became too nervous, trying to lift up, so any entry was
restrained to supplies of food and fresh water. The nest was inspected only on 26 April using only a slot in the
rear wooden wall of the aviary; the time was good as both birds were out of the nest. The date of clutch was
derived from the date when the female first sat on the nest, which was 7 March 2009. A thin voice was heard