Northern bald ibises were considered extinct in Europe, but seven specimens have now been spotted in South Tyrol. Only recently was an actual extinct animal rediscovered in Germany.
The EU-funded LIFE Northern Bald Ibis project has been responsible for restoring the population of this bird species. Ornithologist Iacun Prugger is critical of the development. The released birds tend to get lost and have no specific time of year when they move south or north. Bald ibises also often get lost in South Tyrol, like the seven specimens currently at Bolzano airport. The return of the northern bald ibis to Europe does not seem to have occurred naturally. According to the expert, the released birds are still too small to survive in the wild.