Numbers of tawny vultures in the Hoces del Río Riaza National Park in the north eastern corner of Segovia have taken a 33% dive in the last five years as the birds literally starve to death thanks to European regulations on removing dead animals.

Ever since the region of Castilla y León applied EU legislation regarding the 'prompt' removal of dead animals five years ago, the population of tawny vultures (also know as griffon vultures) has dropped significantly from 1,117 to just 753 in the last census carried out by the Bird of Prey Refuge Foundation.

The turning point was legislation passed in 2003 to try to prevent the spread of so-called 'mad cow disease' which obliges farmers to remove animal carcasses immediately.

As well as removing the vultures' food source, the legislation has also meant increased costs for farmers, as it costs much more to dispose of a dead sheep safely than it does to buy a live one.

Various nature pressure groups are now calling for a partial reform of the law that would allow carcasses to be left in muladars designed specifically for carrion feeders.
 
According to doctor Fidel José Fernández, president of the Refuge Foundation.  'Years ago,' he said, 'when a dead animal was left in the park, the vultures would not come down to feed on the carcass for hours or would even wait for the next day.  Nowadays,' he went on, 'they come down immediately and the meat is usually gone within two hours.'
 
Not surprisingly, the number of vultures being born has dropped, with only 143 young being recorded so far in 2009, compared to 226 in 2001.

Another initiative threatening the vultures is a projected pathway through some of the more remote areas of the park, which would bring visitors very close to where the birds currently nest.  Fernández fears that this human intrusion into the vultures' territory would ultimately drive these and other birds away from the park.

The Parque Natural de las Hoces del Río Riaza is home to one of the biggest colonies of tawny vutlures in Europe as well as other bird species like the peregrine falcon, Egyptian vulture, Dupont lark, golden eagle, eagle owl, common kestrel, white stork, grey heron and Spanish sparrow.