Antwerp Zoo Welcomes First Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture Chick
For the first time in its 183-year history, Antwerp Zoo has announced the birth of a Rüppell’s griffon vulture chick — a critically endangered species facing a steep decline in the wild. The chick hatched in the zoo’s walk-through savanna aviary, marking a significant achievement for conservation breeding efforts aimed at preserving this remarkable bird, as reported by Het Laatste Nieuws.
A Historic First
The successful hatching is the first of its kind at Antwerp Zoo, which opened its doors in 1843. The parent birds — a compatible pair that began building their nest as early as winter 2025 — incubated and hatched the egg entirely on their own, a feat the zoo describes as “everything but self-evident.”
“The parents must be a compatible pair and they start building their nest as early as winter, which means the weather also plays a big role,” the zoo stated. “That’s why our caretakers are extra proud that this pair has succeeded entirely on their own for the first time in hatching a healthy chick.”
A Species on the Brink
The Rüppell’s griffon vulture (Gyps rueppelli) is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, the last category before global extinction. According to the IUCN, the species’ population has declined from an estimated 22,000 individuals, with a projected decline of 97% within three generations.
Native to the Sahel region and East Africa, these vultures face numerous threats in the wild. Poisoning is the most serious danger — vultures are often unintended victims of poisoned carcasses set out to kill predators that have attacked livestock. A single poisoning event can kill between 37 and 600 individuals. Habitat loss, use in traditional medicine, and declining food availability further compound the species’ plight.
Remarkable Co-Parenting
The zoo reports that the mother and father vulture have established a balanced parenting routine, alternating care duties every other day. The chick, visible to visitors on the right side of the walk-through aviary, is already actively training its wings and chest muscles in preparation for its first flight, expected later this summer.
“Mother and father have a balanced parenting pattern: they take turns every other day,” the zoo explained. “Meanwhile, the youngster is already training its wings and chest muscles for its first flight soon.”
According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Rüppell’s griffon vultures typically incubate their single egg for approximately 55 days. Once hatched, the chick remains dependent on its parents for about 150 days until it fledges, and continues to rely on them until the next breeding season.
Conservation Significance
Antwerp Zoo, managed by the Royal Society for Zoology of Antwerp (KMDA), has a long-standing commitment to conservation breeding. Through its scientific research arm, ZOO Science, the institution participates in several European Endangered Species Programmes (EEPs) coordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), focusing on endangered species from Central Africa and Asia.
Zookeeper Gilles Franssens, who is directly involved in the vulture breeding program, expressed pride in the achievement. “We’ve been hoping for chicks for years, but it never worked out,” he said.
The successful hatching contributes to the global ex-situ conservation strategy for Rüppell’s griffon vultures. With wild populations continuing to decline across Africa, captive breeding programs in European zoos serve as a vital safety net, maintaining genetic diversity and potentially supporting future reintroduction efforts.
The World’s Highest-Flying Bird
Rüppell’s griffon vultures hold a remarkable distinction: they are the highest-flying birds in the world, with confirmed evidence of flight at an altitude of 11,300 meters (37,000 feet). They possess a specialized variant of hemoglobin that allows them to absorb oxygen efficiently despite the low partial pressure at such extreme altitudes.
These vultures are strict carrion feeders, playing an essential role in African ecosystems by cleaning carcasses and preventing the spread of disease. They can travel well over 100 kilometers from a nest site to find food, and their powerful build allows them to consume not just meat but also hide and bones.
What’s Next
The chick’s first flight is expected in the coming weeks or months, approximately 150 days after hatching. Visitors to Antwerp Zoo can observe the growing youngster in the walk-through savanna aviary, where it remains under the attentive care of its parents.
As the zoo continues its conservation work, the successful breeding of this critically endangered species offers a rare bright spot in the broader context of a global vulture crisis — and a testament to what dedicated conservation programs can achieve.