First lanners in the hacking box

For the two lanners born in this 2023 breeding season at the CRAS Lago di Vico, it’s time to say goodbye to their parents, Sirio and Penelope, who were impeccable in their first breeding experience! We named the two youngsters, a male and a female, Bianca and Bernie, to continue the alphabetical order selection started last year, like in the best family trees.

At 27 days old, the two chicks were taken from the aviary where the reproduction and first breeding stages occur, and placed in an hacking box to start their first encounters with the CRAS staff, who will follow them throughout their growth and preparation for release into the wild.

The hacking technique we use aims to reproduce the natural conditions of nesting, allowing the animals to focus on the surrounding territory and, during the first flight period, return to a location where food is always present. This certainty allows the animals to enhance their first flight performances and make their first hunting experiences, regardless of success.

In about ten days when their physical development is complete, a GPS system will be installed on the animals to track their future movements.