Kidnapped rare Serbian eagle freed into wild after rescue

What the report says

A rare eastern imperial eagle named Feliks has been returned to the wild in Serbia after being taken by traffickers and held in captivity for months, according to BBC World News. The bird was first tracked after leaving the nest in 2025, when conservationists followed his movements from Serbia toward the Middle East. His signal later disappeared, and experts concluded he had been seized, eventually ending up with poachers in Syria who reportedly tried to sell him and later sought a ransom.

BBC reported that conservation workers refused the demand and instead pursued prolonged negotiations involving partners in Lebanon. Feliks was later moved to a wildlife centre in Beirut, where he recovered for more than half a year before being flown back to Serbia on a military transport plane. He was then cared for at Palić Zoo, where staff monitored his condition daily while he regained strength.

The eagle was released into the wild on Thursday after more than a month of recovery in Serbia. The case has drawn attention because the eastern imperial eagle is critically endangered, and conservation groups have been working for years to rebuild the species in Serbia. BBC cited the Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia as saying local conservation efforts have helped increase the number of breeding pairs from one in 2017 to 29 this year, underscoring both the species’ vulnerability and the value of ongoing protection work.