A Croatian griffon vulture found its last resting place in Salina Ulcinj. It is assumed that poachers shot this rare bird of prey – unfortunately not an isolated incident in Montenegro.
The griffon vulture Perun in Salina Ulcinj. It is not unusual for vultures to travel long distances in search of food.
© CZIP
Some feathers of Perun and one of the gun cartridges
© CZIPPerun the griffon vulture was well-known to the bird conservationists in the western Balkans. This bird, a carrion feeder, was ringed on 17th September on the Croatian island of Cres, and fitted with a tracking device, allowing its movements in the region to be recorded precisely. On its way south, Perun made a stop at the end of October in the Salina Ulcinj in Montenegro. On 29th October, the signals from its transmitter fell silent.
The discovery of vulture feathers and gun cartridges indicate that Perun fell victim to poachers; vultures are a favourite trophy for hunters. This is not the first case of an illegal killing of a griffon vulture. In 2017, our Montenegrin partner organisation CZIP fitted Milo, a griffon vulture, with a transmitter. After release, Milo survived less than 24 hours in the wild before being shot down.
That the latest killing took place in Salina Ulcinj, shows once again how important it is to place the entire saltpan area under protection, and to carry out strict monitoring. In comparison to previous years, hunting activity has decreased, thanks to the persistent work of EuroNatur and its partners
in the field. However, the case of Perun makes it clear that we have not yet achieved our goal.
Please support us in our campaign for the protection of Salina Ulcinj by signing our petition: https://you.wemove.eu/campaigns/save-ulcinj-salina-for-nature-and-people