Vultures are magnificent creatures but too often misunderstood. Their carrion diet is most likely the culprit. Interestingly, their diet is also what makes them an integral part of ecosystems. How? By keeping the system disease-free. 

Vultures are important. By being nature’s clean-up crew they are an integral part of nature. Thanks to their carrion diet, they prevent the spread of diseases produced by decaying carcasses. Vultures also help cattle ranchers, not only because they clean up the fields, but also because they eliminate the need for the treatment and incineration of thousands of tons of animal remains every year.

The Griffon Vulture is the largest bird of prey in Cyprus and also the most threatened. The population is at a worryingly low level and breeding pairs scarce. In early June, three active vulture nests were found, one in Pafos district in an area where a significant colony of the species used to exist in the past. The nest belongs to birds which were brought from Crete through the GYPAS project. The other two nests were located at Episkopi Cliffs, which is where the largest colony of the species is found in what is the most stable breeding site of the species in recent years.