A young eastern imperial eagle designated as Feliks has been returned to the wild in Serbia after being rescued from animal traffickers who had held the bird captive for an extended period.
The bird initially departed its nest in July 2025 and was tracked by conservation experts as it migrated toward the Middle East. However, the tracking signal ceased in October, and it was later determined that the raptor had been captured by poachers in Syria. The individuals holding the bird subsequently demanded a ransom, which officials from the Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia declined to pay, citing concerns that payment would support illegal wildlife trafficking networks.
Following extended negotiations, the captive bird was located in Lebanon and eventually released. According to reporting, the eagle was transported across the Syrian-Lebanese border in a potato sack by refugees crossing the Nahr al-Kabir river. In June, Serbian military personnel returning from peacekeeping operations escorted Feliks to Palic Zoo for medical evaluation and recovery.
After arriving at the facility in a weakened condition from the lengthy transport process, the bird underwent more than a month of rehabilitation with daily health monitoring. The eagle was released into the wild on Thursday following its recovery period.
The eastern imperial eagle is classified as critically endangered. Conservation initiatives that began in 2017 have substantially increased the Serbian population from a single breeding pair to 29 pairs in current year, according to conservation organization officials.
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