Balthazar, world's oldest known bearded vulture, rescued in French Alps

On 27 October 2025, a report came in from Thyez, a small town in the French Alps, requesting assistance for a bearded vulture in distress, found on the ground and unable to fly. After the bird of prey was captured, it was taken to the Coteau veterinary clinic, which is also the reference center for the bearded vulture breeding and conservation program in the Alps.

Here, tests were carried out on the animal and it was found that the vulture was severely debilitated, weakened, and weighed only 4.8 kg. In addition, an X-ray revealed the presence of a hunting pellet inside a cyst on its right leg, which had probably been there for years, following a gunshot wound.

The veterinarians' particular concern about the shot pellet stems from the fact that, especially after years in the system, lead can cause lead poisoning, which can lead to coordination difficulties, neurological damage, or even death.

However, this concern took a back seat thanks to the exciting discovery that came after reading the bird's alphanumeric identification code, which is associated with each individual through a technique called ‘ringing’.

The code on the bearded vulture's ring allowed the identification of the oldest individual of the species: Balthazar. Born on 17 February 1988 in a breeding center in the Netherlands, he was then released into the wild in the same year on the Bargy massif in the French Alps.

Balthazar's presence has been of enormous help to the international project to reintroduce the bearded vulture, which disappeared from the Alps in the early 1900s. Balthazar was, in fact, the first male bearded vulture to successfully reproduce in the wild, raising his first chick in 1997. Others followed, until Balthazar had at least 15 offspring who, once they reproduced, brought his descendants to over 30 individuals.

Balthazar was constantly monitored by researchers until he disappeared in 2016. Given his age and the lack of sightings, the bearded vulture was presumed dead until this latest spectacular discovery last October.

After his capture and initial examinations, it appeared that Balthazar was making a full recovery, regaining both strength and weight, so on the 6th of November, he was released again in the Bargy massif, equipped with a GPS device to track his movements.

Despite his immediate return to flight, monitoring revealed unusual behavior for his species: Balthazar flew little and always at low altitude. The researchers therefore decided to recapture him on 27 November and keep him in captivity permanently.

Balthazar's age and physical condition will no longer allow him to live in the wild, but it is hoped that he will continue his long life and perhaps contribute to the reproduction of the species again.

Info: 4vultures.org