site.bta32 White Storks Die in Sakar Region Following Wildfire, Green Balkans Team Finds

A field team and volunteers from the Green Balkans Wildlife Rescue Centre visited the area around the villages of Studena, Radovets, Filipovo, and Ustrem in the Sakar Mountain region, where one of the largest wildfires in Bulgaria this summer was recently contained, Green Balkans said on Friday.

Following reports from local residents, the team found 32 dead and two live white storks (Ciconia ciconia), all juveniles hatched this year. One of the survivors had been ringed in Hungary earlier this year and had travelled thousands of kilometres to reach the region.

Most of the dead storks were located beneath high-voltage power lines and showed signs of electrocution. Several carcasses, however, were found more than 300 metres away in pine forest, suggesting other contributing factors.

Veterinarians from the Rescue Centre performed necropsies on three of the more intact carcasses. Two showed severely congested tracheas and lungs, indicating asphyxiation or impaired oxygen exchange, the team said.

The combination of the birds’ young age, the scale of mortality, not previously recorded in the area, the timing of the deaths, and the necropsy results led the team to conclude that the recent wildfire was an indirect cause. The flames may have startled the inexperienced storks, causing them to flee in panic and land on hazardous infrastructure.

The EU-funded BestBelt project team, implemented by Green Balkans, noted that the region is currently hosting pre-migratory gatherings of white storks, with hundreds of individuals congregating before their southbound migration.

In addition to the storks, the team found three live but weakened tortoises, six dead ones, three dead hedgehogs, and hundreds of burnt insects, an important food source for many species. The surviving tortoises are receiving care from the veterinary team at the Green Balkans Rescue Centre in Stara Zagora.

The two surviving storks have also been taken to the Rescue Centre’s clinic for treatment and specialized rehabilitation.