By The European Times | Created at 2026-09-02 06:36:35 | Updated at 2026-09-02 07:43:41
1 hour ago
Conservationists are protesting after the mass poisoning of vultures in the Central Balkan National Park. They are demanding effective enforcement of wildlife protection laws, tougher penalties for crimes against protected species, and urgent measures against the use of poisoned baits.
The demonstration was prompted by a poisoning incident in the Balkan Mountains in mid-August that killed eight vultures – five black, two griffon and one bearded. The latter is a particularly heavy loss, as it is the only bearded vulture living in the wild in Bulgaria.
The use of poisoned baits is a serious threat not only to birds of prey, but also to other wildlife. The poison can be ingested by both the animals for which the bait is intended, and by predators and scavengers that feed on the poisoned carcasses. Thus, a single poisoned bait can lead to the death of many animals and affect entire food chains.
Vultures play an important role in ecosystems, as they feed on dead animals and limit the spread of pathogens in nature. At the same time, their populations are vulnerable due to the slow reproduction of the species and the long period needed to restore their numbers.
According to environmentalists, the case shows the need for more effective control and accountability for crimes against protected animals. Among their main demands is that the use of poisoned baits be explicitly and effectively criminalized, and that perpetrators of such crimes receive punishments that actually have a deterrent effect.
The protesters are calling on institutions to take urgent action to prevent new cases and to better protect rare species. They insist that the tragedy in the Central Stara Planina Mountains should not remain another case of destroyed wildlife without the culprits identified and punished.
Illustrative photo: pexels-ondivade-17734706
