Zoo Ostrava The Annual Report 2009

as the birds changed over on 28 April, this assumed to be the day of hatching, meaning that the incubation
period lasted 53 days.
Over the next days, birds were observed to move as if feeding, but as the vultures were still nervous seeing
a keeper, there was no chance to look at the chick and the keeping staff was more and more anxious. At that
time, small chicken and beef meat was eliminated from the diet, with only whole rabbits and rats including
internal parts and hair retained, fed with torn skin. Neither vitamins nor minerals were added to the diet.
Within a few days, the demand for food was apparently higher! The quantity of food was regulated as
necessary.
On 12 May, a head of the chick could be finally clearly identified using a field-glass. On the nest, there was
at least one of the parents at all times. On day 46 of the chick's life, branches were pruned pretty far from the
aviaries, causing the birds significantly disturbed. As a result, both vultures spent the whole day outside the
nest, refusing food over the next two days, meaning they did not feed the chick either. Once calmed down,
the birds returned to their daily routine.
As from 26 June, the parents kept the young bird alone on the nest, while the adults were sitting by on
perches. Once feeding was finished, the little vulture 'marched' up and down the nest. This case showed very
well the importance of keeping the birds fully undisturbed throughout the nesting time. As from 16 August,
the young bird was already walking all over the perch and on 17 August, which was day 112 of its life, it was
even seen to leave the perch very frequently, moving all around the aviary.
Upon consultations and agreement of Ostrava Zoo personnel with EEP Coordinator, the young vulture was
transferred to France to help restore the local population, which took place on 9 September 2009. All along the
travelling period, which took about 20 hours, the vulture stayed calm. Prior the transfer, blood was sampled
to determine sex, and the vulture, who turned out to be a male, was microchipped. In France, the male was
subsequently ringed and placed in a pre-release aviary, where he was kept around a month to get adapted
to the new habitat.
Before the definitive release, a transmitter was implanted in the young bird and its flight feathers
discoloured. The young cinereous vulture bred at Ostrava Zoo was released into the wild in the territory
of Verdon canyon on 18 October 2009, which crowned the zoo personnel efforts with success, fulfilling one
of the key objectives of modern zoological parks.
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