Although we dedicate every day to promoting animal rights, protecting the environment, and conserving endangered species, the 4th of October is truly special. It is World Animal Day, a moment of reflection on how each of us can contribute to a better world for all living beings.

On this occasion, we chose to focus on vultures — a species that has disappeared from Romania’s landscape due to hunting, loss of food sources, and, not least, the negative perception people have long held towards these misunderstood birds.

Today, however, there is hope: vultures can once again be seen soaring across the skies of Romania, individuals that are part of reintroduction programmes in Bulgaria. These birds are monitored through the Bearded Vulture Life programme to ensure that they fly safely through Romanian airspace, and our teams intervene whenever they face difficulties while transiting our country.

At the Târgu Mureș Zoo, visitors were welcomed on this day by our colleague Andrea Miholcsa, who shared the story of how vultures vanished from Romania’s skies and spoke about their fascinating traits and vital role in nature. Visitors from across the country — from Cluj-Napoca to Roman — told us they previously knew little about these impressive birds. Children were encouraged to look for animals that serve as food sources for vultures or species that live in close connection with them throughout the zoo.

Visitors also had the chance to admire the zoo’s four griffon vultures and witness for themselves the grace and majesty of their flight.