These birds are small, weighing little more than two kilograms, yet they possess a gravity that exceeds their mass. In Italy, the species is an echo of its former self, with barely ten breeding pairs remaining in the wild. By moving these individuals to the specialized breeding facility in Extremadura, the technicians from CERM and AMUS are building a genetic reservoir, a library of life intended to restock the empty skies of the Mediterranean.
The specialists move with a practiced, quiet efficiency, sharing observations on the birds' health and temperament. These vultures, known as alimoche in Spain, are famous for their ingenuity, often using stones to crack open thick-shelled eggs. Their faces, a distinct yellow-orange colored by the pigments in their diet, were once immortalized as characters in the alphabet of the Pharaohs. Now, through assisted reproduction and meticulous care, their offspring will eventually be released to reclaim the rocky outcrops and cliff ledges of their ancestors.