RIYADH: Two endangered Eurasian griffon vultures, satellite tagged and released by Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, have traveled 245,632 kilometres, through eight countries, in the past 29 months.
This real-time data is the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia. Released for International Vulture Awareness Day it raises awareness of the global conservation crisis facing vultures and reinforces the need for cross-border conservation co-operation to ensure the species’ survival.
The vultures were released on April 3, 2023. The first vulture has journeyed 119,499km to date from the reserve in northwest Saudi Arabia, through Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran.
Tagged Eurasian griffon vultures at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve. (Supplied)
In winter 2023, the vulture returned to southwestern Saudi Arabia, travelling via the reserve, and then in spring 2024 migrated north where it has since remained in the mountains of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
