Three Egyptian vulture chicks hatched at CERM during the 2025 breeding season. Because the parent pairs were deemed unreliable for incubation and rearing, the eggs were artificially incubated, with all chicks requiring assisted hatching. The first two, born on May 17 and June 11, were hand-reared for a few days before being fostered by Egyptian vultures Alex and Alfonso. To guarantee the fostering success, CERM operators implemented several measures, including placing dummy eggs in the pair’s nest weeks in advance to encourage brood. Once the chicks were introduced into the nests, Alex and Alfonso immediately took them into their care. Once they are fully grown, two of the juveniles will be released into the wild in Basilicata. The third chick, who was born with health issues on June 21, will remain at CERM to join the existing breeding stock.
