Two more vultures die of electrocution

Two more Griffon vultures have been found dead from electrocution on the power distribution network in Cyprus, NGO Birdlife has announced.

The latest fatalities bring the number of vultures killed by electrocution to six in 2024.

The first set of vultures to die from electrocution was in May, followed a few weeks later by another pair, and now by the latest two.   

“As the vulture population grows and more birds are fitted with GPS tags, more information is coming to light concerning the threats they face,” the NGO said.

They added that until 2022 there were no recorded vulture deaths by electrocution in Cyprus.

However, now that more are being fitted with GPS tags, the NGO said it is evident the situation is “dire, as electrocution is now the second most significant threat to Griffon Vultures on the island, something that is also true in other countries”.

The deaths concern two female vultures, Iris and CAN, aged three and one respectively, which were brought to Cyprus from Spain as part of efforts to halt the extinction of the species.

“These two recent incidents took place this month, the first on August 2 at an electricity pole near Ayios Ioannis in Paphos, and the second on August 25 at an electricity pole that powers a Cyta antenna in Pentalia,” the NGO said.

The cause of death of the two birds was confirmed by the necropsy carried out by the Veterinary Services.

“These two powerlines are within key areas used daily by the vultures and insulating them or redesigning them should now be a priority to prevent further losses,” Birdlife added.

According to Birdlife, the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) has been notified.

“We urgently call upon them to address this issue by redesigning the dangerous pole structures or implementing effective insulation.

“Despite recent efforts by the EAC to insulate poles at Kelokedara after three previous vulture electrocutions, the insulation remains insufficient, leaving more vultures at risk,” the NGO said.

They added that this threat needs to be a priority for all relevant agencies to prevent further loss of this threatened species.