Living with Bone-Breakers
The Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) epitomises so much about our relationship with nature. It was hunted to extinction in the Alps by the early 20th Century, partly due to the absurd legend that it snatched small children, an early example of the continuing ‘bad press’ vultures still seem destined to endure. A small Pyrenees population was sustained and, through many conservation efforts on both sides of the border, their numbers have grown substantially since the ‘90s with about 100 breeding pairs throughout the Pyrenees chain. With a near 3m wingspan, it is a timid, cautious bird that presents no threat to anything.
January 16, 2022
