(source: SITA)
THE ZOO in Bratislava opened a new aviary for injured birds in January that is part of a project supported by the European Commission to protect the Saker falcon (Falco cherrug) that is operating in Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania.
“The saker falcon belongs among the rarest and most precious birds of prey in these countries. Only 40 couples are registered as nesting in Slovakia so it is an endangered species,” said Lucia Deutschová, the head of the Raptor Protection association, to the TASR newswire, adding that the new aviary that was financed through €2,330 from the EU is very important for injured birds as there is lack of rehab facilities in Slovakia. The aviary has six separate cages and since its opening has held at least four injured birds, including one saker falcon.
“The rehab station is not part of the zoo, per se” said Miloslava Šavelová, the head of the zoo, while expressing pleasure over the re-opening of the rehab station that had been closed in 2009 due to lack of funds. “The aviary should be completed to also hold mammals and reptiles,” Šavelová added.
Ján Orlovský, the spokesman for electricity distributor Západoslovenská energetika (ZSE), told TASR that birds sometimes get injured on the company’s high-voltage wiring and the company is attaching more barriers so that birds will not be able to touch the two wires with their wings.
