Felix the Eagle was returned home after being kidnapped while migrating
A young imperial eagle named Felix, who went missing in the Middle East during his first migration, has returned to Serbia following a complex international operation. His abduction by poachers and subsequent rescue serve as an example of just how widespread the illegal wildlife trade remains.
Felix’s story began as a routine migration of a young bird of prey but quickly turned into a multi-layered drama involving poachers, illegal markets, and a complex rescue operation spanning several countries. Felix is a Egyptian vulture from Serbia, a species that was on the brink of extinction in the country until recently. That is why every individual of this species is critical to the recovery of the population.
During its first major flight, the bird was supposed to follow a migratory route to the Middle East, but instead it was captured by poachers involved in illegal wildlife trafficking schemes.
The eagle was put up for sale in private online chat rooms and subsequently changed hands several times among owners in various countries across the region. “It’s getting worse year after year, season after season, day after day. We can hardly believe that the mission was successfully completed,” said Michel Savan, head of the Lebanese Migratory Bird Association, who participated in the rescue.
According to conservationists, Felix’s route began in Serbia and continued through North Macedonia, Greece, and Turkey. In late October, his signal disappeared in Syria, which was initially attributed to a technical malfunction of the transmitter. It later turned out that the bird had been captured by poachers. According to those involved in the operation, various methods are used in the region to capture migratory birds—ranging from nets and shooting to decoys and pursuit by vehicle.
Felix was put up for sale on messaging apps, after which he changed hands several times between Syria and Lebanon. Conservationists were able to track down the bird thanks to a network of contacts in the region, but they categorically refused to pay any ransom for his release.
Eventually, the bird was successfully transported to Lebanon. Crossing the border took place amid a complex security situation, and even with the help of people who assisted in transporting the eagle across the Nahr el-Kebir River, it was carried in an ordinary potato sack. “It was madness,” Michel Savan said, succinctly describing the situation.
After his rescue, Felix stayed at a bird sanctuary in Beirut, but his return home was complicated by new regional conflicts and the closure of transport routes. Several attempts to transport him to Serbia failed, and it was only through the intervention of Serbian military personnel participating in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon that the operation was successfully completed.
On June 22, Felix finally returned to Serbia aboard a military transport plane, bringing to a close a story that spanned many months and brought together conservationists, diplomats, and military personnel in an effort to save a single bird that had become a symbol of the fight against the illegal wildlife trade. This was reported by Apnews.
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