Boev, a Bearded vulture, hatched on 12 February 2025 at Ostrava Zoo in the Czech Republic, before being transferred to Bulgaria as part of the Bearded Vulture LIFE project. On 17 May 2025, he was released in Sinite Kamani Nature Park in Bulgaria, together with two other young males, marking the return of the species after more than 50 years of absence.

After spending almost a year in the wild, during which he learnt to find food for himself and explored the Balkan Mountains, Boev set off on an even longer journey. On 13 April 2026, he left the area where he had been released in Bulgaria and began a long-distance journey that has since taken him across much of Central and Northern Europe.

The following day, the vulture entered Romania, and we began closely monitoring his movements as this is one of our responsibilities within the Bearded Vulture LIFE project. We followed his journey, and whenever Boev stayed in one place for an extended period, our volunteers and colleagues went into the field to check on the situation and, just in case, left supplementary food for him. We would like to thank them for their involvement.

There were also a few anxious moments when Boev remained in an area where there was no signal, meaning that his transmitter was no longer providing us with information about the bird. Fortunately Boev continued his adventure.

After 123 days of travelling, on the 13th August Boev returned to Bulgaria. A few days ago, however, his transmitter started sending worrying signals, indicating that something was wrong, and the team which went to look for the bird was confronted with a real nightmare. Boev was found dead, alongside four Cinereous vultures, two Griffon vultures and a Common raven. 

This is not simply the loss of several birds. It is a devastating blow to the entire nature conservation community in Bulgaria. More than 30 years of tireless work, sleepless nights, international efforts and enormous hope, all shattered within just a few hours.

The Bearded Vulture LIFE project

The “Bearded Vulture LIFE” project is a comprehensive initiative aiming to restore populations of Bearded Vultures and Cinereous Vultures in Bulgaria and across the Balkans. With a budget of €5.17 million, co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme, the project began in August 2023 and will run until 2030. The project is coordinated by Green Balkans and involves eight organisations from three countries. Within the project, the Milvus Group is responsible for locating,treating and releasing weakened or injured vultures found in Romania.