Regina is a captive-bred Egyptian vulture, originating from a Turkish population, hatched on 1.6.2016 and raised in Vienna zoo. It was provided to BSPB for releasing in Bulgaria on 10th of August by Praha Zoo within the framework of the European Endangered Species Programmes (EEP) of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), under the close collaboration with the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF). Regina was released on 26th of August by using the hacking method in the  Nature Park "Rusenski Lom" and in collaboration with Green Balkans. After a week flying in the area of hacking site, on 2nd September she suddenly started migrationg south. The same day Regina flew over Eastern Stara Planina and Eastern Rhodopes, and went in Greece in the area of Dadia (Thrace). The next day, she entered Turkey, crossed the Sea of Marmara via the Dardanelles and continued to travel south along the Aegean coast. On 7th of September she reached the western coast of Antalya Basin which was a critical point in her travel. In the next morning (8.9.2016) Regina choosed to cross the sea instead to continue east along the coast. She flew over 270 km for 9-10 hours over the sea and finally reached the western coast of Cyprus. In the morning of 9th of September, without any break, she continued her migration south entering again into the sea through Akrotiri Peninsula at 10:00 - the distance to the nearest coast was 240 km. For 6 hours she flew over 190 km and at 16:00 some 50 km from the Lebanese coast, it seems a northeastern wind pushed her away from the coast. She continued to fly over the sea some more 130 km in southwestern direction and obviously very exhausted drowned into the sea at 20:00, just 25 km from the coast of Tel Aviv...

During her, unfortunately unsuccessful, migration Regina flew over 1,500 km for 8 days, with average speed ca. 200 km per day. Over 500 km she flew over the sea, where finally she died (Many juvenile Egyptian vultures drawn into the sea during their first migration - you can read more on this subject here )