Brok, discovered in illegal captivity in Lebanon, and Qalamoon, rescued in Syria, have produced their first chick—an achievement linking local wildlife protection with international efforts to safeguard the Egyptian Vulture.

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) welcomes a remarkable conservation milestone: two Egyptian Vultures rescued after suffering severe injuries and illegal captivity in the Middle East have successfully bred at Prague Zoo.

Their chick, a male named Kali, hatched on 12 July 2026, opening a new chapter in a rescue story that brought together conservation organisations, veterinary specialists, authorities and breeding experts across several countries. His father, Brok, was discovered by SPNL rangers in Lebanon in September 2021. His mother, Qalamoon, was rescued from illegal captivity in Syria.

Both adults survived injuries that prevented their return to the wild. Through sustained international cooperation, they were transferred to Prague Zoo, where they recovered sufficiently to form a compatible pair and produce their first offspring.

For SPNL, this achievement demonstrates the lasting value of field intervention. A bird located in illegal captivity in Lebanon five years ago is now contributing to the conservation of a threatened species through a coordinated European breeding programme.

A rescue that began in Lebanon

Brok’s journey to Prague began in September 2021, when SPNL rangers discovered him being illegally kept on a farm alongside two other vultures.

Brok and another male, Loki, bore the consequences of poaching: old wing fractures and numerous shotgun pellets embedded in their bodies. Although they had survived their initial injuries, veterinary examinations established that the damage was too severe for them to return safely to the wild.

Their rescue required a long-term solution that could provide appropriate care while allowing them to contribute, where possible, to the conservation of their species.

With support from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria) and cooperation among conservationists in several countries, Brok and Loki were transported to Prague Zoo in June 2022. Loki subsequently moved to France to contribute to the species’ breeding programme there, while Brok remained in Prague.

The outcome illustrates why rescue work must extend beyond the moment an injured bird is found. Veterinary assessment, rehabilitation, suitable accommodation and coordinated decisions about an animal’s future all determine whether an intervention can deliver lasting benefits.

Qalamoon’s journey from Syria through Lebanon

Qalamoon’s story followed a similarly difficult path.

She was illegally captured in Syria during migration in 2019 or 2020. In 2021, she was discovered at an illegal wildlife-keeping facility and handed over to the authorities through the efforts of the Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife (SSCW) and BirdLife International Middle East.

A serious wing injury meant that she, too, could not return to the wild. Her future depended on finding a specialist institution able to provide continuing care and incorporate her into a managed conservation breeding programme.

Lengthy negotiations and complex international arrangements followed. In September 2022, Qalamoon travelled from Syria to Lebanon and then flew via Istanbul to Prague Zoo.

Her transfer became a significant conservation achievement: she was the first Egyptian Vulture successfully transported from Syria to Europe and included in the species’ European breeding programme.

Lebanon therefore occupies two places in this shared story—as the country where Brok was discovered and as a transit point in Qalamoon’s journey to specialist care.

Kali: a new generation after years of recovery

At Prague Zoo, Brok and Qalamoon found a compatible partner in one another. Following recovery and specialist care, Qalamoon laid a fertile egg, which was transferred to an incubator.

Kali hatched on 12 July 2026.

Prague Zoo’s detailed account explains that, because the pair lacked parenting experience, the chick was placed with an experienced foster female, Debora, and received supplementary feeding using a puppet resembling the head of an adult Egyptian Vulture. This technique helps prevent harmful imprinting on human carers.

Kali is expected to contribute to the future management of the European population under human care. Brok and Qalamoon will remain at Prague Zoo, where they may produce further offspring under suitable conditions.

His hatching gives a new conservation purpose to the survival of two birds whose injuries permanently interrupted their lives in the wild. It also reflects years of patient work by the people who located them, secured their care and arranged their transport.

Connecting specialist breeding with recovery in the wild

According to the account announcing this breeding success, Prague Zoo has hatched 40 Egyptian Vulture chicks, placing it among the most successful breeding centres for the species.

Its work also extends to supporting the recovery of wild populations. In cooperation with BSPB and Green Balkans, 13 Egyptian Vultures bred at Prague Zoo have been released in Bulgaria’s Eastern Rhodope Mountains.

These achievements show how specialist breeding institutions and organisations working in the field can contribute to a shared conservation objective. Birds that cannot themselves be released may still play a valuable role in coordinated breeding, while suitable captive-bred birds can support carefully managed population reinforcement.

Kali’s future contribution will be determined through the breeding programme. His story sits within this wider effort to sustain the species and strengthen its prospects.

Protecting migratory birds requires cooperation along their route

The Egyptian Vulture’s annual movements connect breeding areas, migration corridors and wintering grounds across national borders. Lebanon and Syria form part of the journeys made by these birds towards their wintering areas.

Illegal shooting and capture can interrupt those journeys within moments. The consequences may last for the rest of a bird’s life, as the permanent injuries suffered by Brok and Qalamoon demonstrate.

Their successful rescue depended on organisations able to work together across those same borders. Field teams, wildlife authorities, veterinarians, transport specialists and breeding institutions each contributed a necessary part of the process.

For SPNL, the story reinforces the need to prevent illegal persecution while maintaining effective systems for responding when injured or illegally held wildlife is discovered. Rescue and rehabilitation are essential, but reducing the threats that create these cases remains a central conservation priority.

The public also has an important role. Reporting suspected illegal captivity and injured wildlife to competent authorities and conservation organisations can help bring cases to attention and enable an appropriate response.

A new phase: LIFE EV Safe Return

The breeding success comes as international conservation efforts enter a new phase through LIFE EV Safe Return, coordinated by BSPB and co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme.

BSPB announced the project’s launch on 10 October 2026, World Migratory Bird Day. It builds on earlier Egyptian Vulture conservation work and connects action across breeding grounds, migration routes and wintering areas.

As outlined in the project announcement, at least 40 young Egyptian Vultures, bred in European zoos or rescued from the wild, are planned for release in Bulgaria and Greece. GPS/GSM transmitters will allow conservation teams to follow their movements and improve understanding of the threats they encounter.

Additional activities will address poisoning and illegal persecution, make dangerous power lines safer and engage local communities. Conservation measures will also cover key locations along the species’ migration route in Türkiye and Africa.

The project’s approach reflects a lesson illustrated by Brok and Qalamoon: protecting a migratory species requires sustained work across the places on which its survival depends.

Recognising the people and partnerships behind the rescue

SPNL recognises the collective effort that made this outcome possible, including the work of BSPB, Prague Zoo, SSCW and BirdLife International Middle East, alongside the authorities, veterinary professionals and others involved in securing the birds’ care and transfer.

Each stage mattered—from discovering the birds and assessing their injuries to completing administrative procedures and providing years of specialist care.

The wider conservation partnership continues through LIFE EV Safe Return. Coordinated by BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria, the project brings together Green Balkans; BirdLife Europe and Central Asia; the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA); the Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace (SPBT); the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS); the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES); Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA); the Albanian Ornithological Society (AOS); DOĞA in Türkiye; Sahara Conservation; BirdLife Africa; and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF). Sofia Zoo and Prague Zoo are associated partners.

This new initiative builds on the earlier Egyptian Vulture New LIFE project, launched in July 2017 under the title “Urgent Actions to Strengthen the Balkan Population of the Egyptian Vulture and Secure Its Flyway” (LIFE16 NAT/BG/000874). That project united institutions and organisations from 14 countries across the Balkans, Middle East and Africa, with support from the EU LIFE Programme and co-financing from the A.G. Leventis Foundation, Green Fund and MAVA Foundation.

A conservation achievement with roots in Lebanon

Kali’s hatching is a meaningful outcome for everyone involved in his parents’ rescue—and a reminder of the importance of local conservation work in Lebanon.

When SPNL rangers discovered Brok in 2021, his immediate need was protection and care. Today, his survival has made possible a new generation of Egyptian Vultures.

The achievement offers hope while keeping attention on the work still required: preventing illegal shooting and capture, supporting field teams, ensuring appropriate veterinary care and sustaining cooperation across the species’ range.

From a farm in Lebanon and an illegal wildlife facility in Syria to a successful breeding pair in Prague, Brok and Qalamoon’s journey shows what committed conservation partnerships can achieve. Kali’s arrival gives that effort a living future.

Further information: Egyptian Vulture New LIFE · Prague Zoo’s account of Brok, Qalamoon and Kali · LIFE EV Safe Return announcement