The short life story of the bird called Volen

On May 18, 2015 a dead Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) was found on the road Sliven-Yambol just before the intersection to the village of Gergevets. It was hit by a car. There are many incidents with wildlife on this secondary road: hedgehogs, otters, sousliks, birds and many others, as drivers go too fast. Experts from the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water – Stara Zagora, were notified, and the bird was sent for autopsy in the Wildlife Rescue Centre run by Green Balkans.
Actions for the satellite tagging of Imperial Eagles started in 2008 and so far 30 individuals have been tagged with transmitters. Unfortunately only one of these still survives. This is an indication that more than 90% of the juvenile Imperial Eagles die due to a variety of factors, many resulting from human activity.

The Imperial Eagle is among the rarest bird species both in Bulgaria as well as in the world. In the past it ranked among the most wide-spread birds of prey in our country but today its population numbers just about twenty pairs. Most are concentrated in South-Eastern Bulgaria and they spend most of their time on the Sliven Plain where they hunt for food (hedgehogs, sousliks, hares etc.). Volen lost his life when he landed on the road to feed on the hedgehog carcasses there.

Main threats for the species include poaching, electrocution, disturbance during the breeding season, road accidents, pesticide and poison bait use in agriculture.

Species and habitats can be wiped out quite easily but their recovering them is extremely difficult, at times impossible and economically unwarrantable.

More information about the species and its distribution and conservation: http://www.saveraptors.org/.