In Portugal’s Greater Côa Valley, the restoration of trophic complexity and connectivity is a story of steadily expanding scale.

The skills and knowledge acquired by the team will be put to good use when cinereous vultures are released into the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area in 2021.

On the face of it, vultures aren’t the most endearing birds. But closer investigation reveals just how amazing they really are, and why their conservation is so important.

A positive site survey means the reintroduction of cinereous vultures in the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area in Bulgaria can begin in 2021. Overseen by the Rewilding Rhodopes team and partners, the return of this keystone species to the area as a breeding species will enhance local food chains.

In a recent study conducted by Rewilding Portugal and partners within the LIFE WolFlux project, nearly half of interviewees were open to the idea of living alongside the Iberian wolf under certain conditions. Feedback from the study will help the team in their rewilding efforts.

More than 70 griffon vulture chicks have so far hatched in the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area in Bulgaria this year. This encouraging figure continues the upward trend in numbers experienced in recent years.

Following multiple releases of both species, monitoring data shows populations of red and fallow deer are now thriving in the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area and beyond. This is good news for predators, scavengers and local nature-based businesses.

The number of griffon vulture pairs nesting in the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area in Bulgaria this year has (so far) reached 99. Despite this record-breaking figure, an unconfirmed poisoning incident highlights the threats that these birds still face.

As part of the long-term restoration of deer populations in the Rhodope Mountains, the latest reintroduction will further support the area’s endangered vulture species – as well as other scavengers and carnivores – by revitalising food chains and creating a healthier, more naturally balanced ecosystem.

The grant from cosmetics retailer Lush will be used to fund the first stage of a reintroduction programme, which aims to establish a breeding colony of the vultures in the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area on the Bulgarian-Greek border.