Quebrantahuesos, the smasher of bones – Pyrenees

A few hours’ drive from the Movida of Barcelona in the heart of Europe there is a place at the same time wild and rich with history (ranging from graffiti Palaeolithic to the early Christian churches of the Valley of Boi). This place, surrounded by the chain of the Pyrenees, the first European chain to be formed in the geological history of the continent, is one of the many hidden wonders of our neighborhood. A corner of old Europe that reserve scenic wonders, extreme excursions and some special guest ... The beautiful Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), is a vulture with a distinctive silhouette, a bright yellow belly, a dark back and amber eyes. But over the centuries it has been accompanied by a sinister reputation and a real persecution perpetuated by man that conduct this birds to the brink of extinction in all parts of Europe where it lived. So today the view of many vultures in the blue sky, with the terrific background of Anisclo peak and other peaks in the area, is a great privilege reserved for tourists who come up here to enjoy the dramatic scenery of the Ordessa valley and Monte Perdido. We Said of the bad reputation of this bird, considered murderess of lambs and kids, and consequently hated for centuries by shepherds, despite, as is well known, the vulture collects the carcasses found abandoned and then drop them, with the violent impact with the ground bones are broken making available the nutrients fibers contained in them. The inhabitants of these mountains with the help of strict protection laws, and many researchers involved in conservation have now reversed course and took up the challenge to protect the vulture. Today the Ordessa Valley Mount Perdido National Park is elected home to the “quebrantahuesos” (that in Spanish means smasher of bones), became an icon of the conservation of wild fauna of the Whole EU.