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An endangered Egyptian vulture named Midas, equipped with a satellite transmitter in Eskisehir, Türkiye, in 2022, has traveled a staggering 101,230 kilometers, passing through 11 countries before returning home.
Launched under the Egyptian Vulture Conservation Project, this initiative is a joint effort by Türkiye's General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, Eskisehir Metropolitan Municipality, and the KuzeyDoga Association. The goal is to track and protect the critically endangered species through GPS monitoring.
Now 7 years old, Midas was first tagged on April 24, 2022, and has since completed multiple international journeys. In 2025, the vulture was recaptured in Eskisehir to replace its satellite tag, whose battery had reached the end of its three-year lifespan.
According to the data, Midas spent January and February in South Sudan, March in Chad, and flew through Sudan, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria before returning to its breeding ground in Türkiye for the third time.
During its migration, Midas reached speeds of up to 102 kilometers per hour and soared as high as 7,830 meters above sea level—higher than many commercial flights.
The data collected through Midas and nine other GPS-tagged Egyptian vultures is helping researchers uncover critical information about migration routes, breeding patterns, and wintering areas, especially in South Sudan and Chad.
Emrah Coban, scientific coordinator at KuzeyDoga Association, expressed excitement upon reencountering Midas:
“At first, I couldn’t believe it. We were preparing to tag a new bird, but this one already had our transmitter. We replaced the battery and will release him back into the wild shortly.”
Coban emphasized the importance of long-term tracking for species conservation, adding that Midas could become one of the longest-tracked Egyptian vultures in the world.
Nurben Fatma Koptekin, head of Veterinary Affairs at Eskisehir Metropolitan Municipality, noted that the project began its fourth season with an exciting surprise—Midas' return.
“We're tracking nine vultures. This recapture extended our season. What makes it more special is that we fund this work through 5% of our zoo ticket revenues, not public money. This is unique in Türkiye.”
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