An ornithological park in the French Alps is reintroducing the white-tailed eagle - considered the largest eagle in Europe - and raising public awareness of the predator, 130 years after the species went extinct in mainland France.
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00:00So Fletcher, he is 15 years old, he is 2.10 meters in size, he weighs about 4 kg and he is our ambassador Fletcher.
00:14It is with him that we make all these efforts to make this species known to the general public since the bird has disappeared for a very long time.
00:21We are going to put them a little on the edge of the river.
00:30The last one who died in France in 1992 was killed by a rifle shot.
00:48The first one we put back in nature 130 years later was killed by a rifle shot.
00:52So we still have a real job to do on this.
00:55On the other hand, what is the good surprise and the good news of the program is that the birds have adapted to an environment that had changed.
01:04I mean now after almost 11 years, 12 years, we know each other by heart.
01:09I know when he's in a good mood, when he's not in a good mood, he knows when he shouldn't get angry. It's an old couple.
01:15Go fast.
01:17Go Fletch.
01:21Go fast in the nest to show you.
01:25Go Fletch.
01:33I have made some epiarchs.
01:35Go Fletch.
01:53So the reintroduction program will spread over 10 years, from 2022 to 2030.
01:57The goal is to reintroduce 85 young pigarangues.
02:00We started with a first year, which was a bit of a test year.
02:02We reintroduced 4 to see if everything worked well in the reintroduction system, the beacons and all that.
02:07Last year we reintroduced 10 and from now on it will be our cruising rhythm between 8 and 12.
02:11It obviously depends on the births, we don't control it.