Returning home
04 March 2025
On 28.02.2025, experts from the Directorate of the Central Balkan National Park and experts from Green Balkans released a great hawk and two common buzzards, which had previously been under the care of the Wild Animal Rescue Center - Stara Zagora. The return of the birds to nature took place at the Byala Reka bivouac.
The event was also attended by 21 young people - students from the Thracian University, majoring in Veterinary Medicine, and students from the Ivan P. Pavlov Vocational High School of Veterinary Medicine, who were given an educational talk about diurnal birds of prey and the role of protected areas in their conservation. Together with the experts from the Central Balkan, they walked along the interpreted route of the Byala Reka eco-trail, thereby enriching their knowledge about the National Park.
An important highlight of the event was the topic "What to do if we see a wild animal in distress?". According to the Biological Diversity Act (BDLA), when a person finds an animal in a helpless state or a dead animal, when it is protected under the same law, they must contact the regional representative office of the Ministry of Environment and Waters or the structures of the Executive Forestry Agency - usually by calling 112 or directly to them.
This is how the hawk, which was released, arrived at the Green Balkans Rescue Center. Residents of the town of Troyan discovered the injured bird and contacted employees of the Park Directorate, who organized the transportation of the animal to the town of Stara Zagora, where the treatment itself was carried out.
Detailed information on the topic "What to do in case of an injured animal?" can be obtained here.
The topic of the recovery of European species of vultures - griffon, black and bearded, and the Saker Falcon, for which the Park is a key territory, was also touched upon. In the last few years, projects have been successfully implemented on the territory of the Central Balkan to restore the vulture populations. Their maintenance and protection continues to this day.
A total of 224 bird species are found within the boundaries of the Central Balkan National Park. 123 species have been identified during the breeding season, and the remaining 97 outside the breeding season. The Central Balkan is recognized as an ornithologically important site of global importance. It preserves all bird species from the alpine biome found in Bulgaria, as well as globally significant populations of other bird species. For information, 122 of the identified bird species have conservation status. The status of 121 of them has been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Three of these species are included in the “endangered” category. Thirty-one species are listed in the annexes of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 36 of the species are included in the Red Book of Bulgaria, in the categories "vulnerable", "endangered" and "critically endangered", and 120 species are protected under the BDA.
The event was also attended by 21 young people - students from the Thracian University, majoring in Veterinary Medicine, and students from the Ivan P. Pavlov Vocational High School of Veterinary Medicine, who were given an educational talk about diurnal birds of prey and the role of protected areas in their conservation. Together with the experts from the Central Balkan, they walked along the interpreted route of the Byala Reka eco-trail, thereby enriching their knowledge about the National Park.
An important highlight of the event was the topic "What to do if we see a wild animal in distress?". According to the Biological Diversity Act (BDLA), when a person finds an animal in a helpless state or a dead animal, when it is protected under the same law, they must contact the regional representative office of the Ministry of Environment and Waters or the structures of the Executive Forestry Agency - usually by calling 112 or directly to them.
This is how the hawk, which was released, arrived at the Green Balkans Rescue Center. Residents of the town of Troyan discovered the injured bird and contacted employees of the Park Directorate, who organized the transportation of the animal to the town of Stara Zagora, where the treatment itself was carried out.
Detailed information on the topic "What to do in case of an injured animal?" can be obtained here.
The topic of the recovery of European species of vultures - griffon, black and bearded, and the Saker Falcon, for which the Park is a key territory, was also touched upon. In the last few years, projects have been successfully implemented on the territory of the Central Balkan to restore the vulture populations. Their maintenance and protection continues to this day.
A total of 224 bird species are found within the boundaries of the Central Balkan National Park. 123 species have been identified during the breeding season, and the remaining 97 outside the breeding season. The Central Balkan is recognized as an ornithologically important site of global importance. It preserves all bird species from the alpine biome found in Bulgaria, as well as globally significant populations of other bird species. For information, 122 of the identified bird species have conservation status. The status of 121 of them has been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Three of these species are included in the “endangered” category. Thirty-one species are listed in the annexes of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 36 of the species are included in the Red Book of Bulgaria, in the categories "vulnerable", "endangered" and "critically endangered", and 120 species are protected under the BDA.
