Bearded vulture at the Alpine Zoo

“Romeo and Juliet” had offspring on leap day

(Bild: Alpenzoo/ Fritz Schmidt )

There is animal joy at the Innsbruck Alpine Zoo: this year, the bearded vulture enclosure is once again home to feathered offspring. The couple with the melodious names "Romeo and Juliet" hatched a chick after around 56 days. It hatched on leap day of all days.

Officially, the chick will not have another birthday for another four years, as it was born on February 29. The bearded vulture parents will now provide the chick with food for 125 days. First, the little one will be given a pre-digested mash, which the parents will regurgitate, and later also meat, explained the Alpine Zoo in a press release.

After 2023, there will be offspring in the bearded vulture enclosure again this year.

(Bild: Alpenzoo/ Fritz Schmidt )

We are all incredibly happy that our bearded vulture couple Romeo and Julia are once again successful.

Zoodirektor André Stadler

Another breeding success for Alpenzoo
"The parent birds took excellent care of the chick for the first few days. And we are all incredibly happy that our bearded vulture pair Romeo and Julia have been successful again. Last year was the first time in 16 years that bearded vulture breeding was successful again," emphasizes Zoo Director André Stadler.

Incidentally, the young bearded vulture from 2023 was released into the wild in Berchtesgaden National Park the following summer.

Couple at the Alpine Zoo for ten years
The two bearded vultures Romeo and Julia originally come from the Czech Republic and Spain. They came to the Innsbruck Alpine Zoo in 2014. The two are now 10 years old. The vultures reach sexual maturity at around six to seven years of age.