Esperanza, the first wild-hatched Bearded Vulture from the Andalusian reintroduction project, is raising her first chick - Vulture Conservation Foundation

Esperanza, the first wild-hatched Bearded Vulture from the Andalusian reintroduction project, is raising her first chick - Vulture Conservation Foundation

Once upon a time—well, ten years ago—high in the cliffs of Andalusia, a very special Bearded Vulture (Gypeatus Barbatus) took her first wobbly steps into the world. Her name was “Esperanza”, which means hope in Spanish. She wasn’t just any chick. She was the first wild-hatched Bearded Vulture from a reintroduced pair, brought back into Andalusia after the species had disappeared from the region in the 80s. Esperanza (c) Enrique Avila An extraord…