Birth of a Ural owl in Amnéville
This year we were fortunate to witness the birth within the sky predators’ zone a little female Ural owl.
Although its IUCN protection status does not indicate an emergency because the population numbers are still acceptable, today we see a real fragmentation in the distribution of the birds. This is a phenomenon directly related to human activities which, through our roads, cities, and other infrastructure, split geographical distributions into fragments, isolating populations and thus decreasing genetic flow. This directly leads to an increase in inbreeding, which could lead to the extinction of the isolated population.
The VLAB association
For 7 years, the VLAB association has been committed to the return of the Ural owl in Upper Palatinate, where it had disappeared.
Funded only by its members’ contributions and private donations, the association operates through the dedication of volunteers, including nature protection experts, associations, and civil societies. Everyone works together to preserve the environment and protect biodiversity.
Recognized at the national level, the association has reintroduced 60 young Ural owls into the wild since the start of the project. According to Michaela Domeyer, the project manager, “our goal is to create a stable population and connect it to another isolated population from the Bavarian Forest National Park, in order to improve genetic diversity and reduce the risk of extinction.”
