On August 20, 2025, Lisa and Hugo, two of the three young Egyptian vultures born at CERM in spring 2025 were released in Basilicata, in the Murgia Materana Park. First, they were transferred from CERM to the Wild Animal Recovery centre of the San Giuliano Regional Nature Reserve, where they spent a day of rest, then they were placed in a hacking box located on the edge of a ravine (rocky canyon) to spend a few days settling in. A video surveillance system allowed for continuous remote monitoring of both the inside of the box to check the health of the animals and the surrounding exterior.
Furthermore, ornithologists surveilled the surroundings during the acclimatization and post-release phases. As soon as they were placed in the hacking box on August 15, Hugo and Lisa looked around, puzzled and curious.
The panoramic view immediately captivated them, and they soon took a keen interest in their new surroundings, a landscape of rocky walls, cereal steppes, and shrubland. Hugo, the older of the two Egyptian vultures, was eager to fly and began exploring the area. Just five days later, shortly after the hacking box was opened, the young vulture took his first flight. Lisa, on the other hand, who was born a few days after her brother, waited until August 24 to take her first flight. With their perfect plumage, they immediately demonstrated excellent mastery of flight and gradually ventured further out. After a short period to familiarize themselves with the area and hone their flying skills, the two young vultures are expected to leave the release area and begin their migration to Africa. Their movements will be continuously tracked via GPS, with direct field monitoring by CERM Association volunteers.
