[Natural History Museum of the Petrified Forest of Lesvos/Facebook]
A Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) was rescued on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos after being found unable to fly on a rural road, authorities and wildlife experts said.
The large bird was discovered by a local resident in the Paliochori area of Sigri. Rescuers from the Scout Wildlife Rescue Group, with experts from the Natural History Museum of the Petrified Forest of Lesvos, immobilized the vulture using specialized equipment and transferred it to a secure cage at the Scout Center in Molyvos.
ANIMA – Hellenic Wildlife Care Association advised that the bird required medical treatment in Athens. The next day, the vulture was placed in a shipment cage sponsored by NGO Pelargos Natura and transported by ship from Mytilene to Piraeus, where ANIMA members received it for care.
Experts said Griffon vultures are transient visitors to Lesvos, with only a few sightings recorded each spring and autumn. The species breeds in limited areas of Greece and is also found across parts of southern Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia.