Bred 4 the Wild

The “Bred 4 the Wild” Bearded Vulture Breeding Programme is part of a collaborative conservation effort between governments, the formal conservation sector, corporates and private specialists to save this critically endangered species from extinction. It is estimated that less than 350 of these magnificent birds remain, living high up in the Drakensberg mountains that serrate the Lesotho-South Africa border.  Breeding just once a year in winter, the elusive pairs lay two eggs but only raise one chick.  The challenging aim of our project is to harvest 32 unrelated eggs from the cliff-face nests to hatch and raise in a breeding station just outside Underberg. So far 26 birds reside in this founder group which forms a genetic reserve. It is their progeny that will be released to supplement the dwindling wild population.