In November 2024, we were approached by the renowned biologist and ornithologist István Ham, whose specialty is white-tailed eagles, a species he has studied for most of his career. During one visit to Palić Zoo, after prolonged observation of the aviary housing seven white-tailed eagle individuals, he noticed that two of them—a male and a female—were displaying affection towards each other and distinguishing themselves from the rest as a potential pair. It is important to note that these individuals are part of the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center and, due to permanent injuries, will not be able to return to the wild. His idea was to separate these individuals into a specially isolated aviary, if feasible, to attempt breeding them. If successful, the young individuals would be released into the wild, contributing to the increase in the population of this rare bird of prey in our region.
A decision was made to implement this idea, with continuous cooperation between the management of Palić Zoo and István Ham. In the following days, preparations began for a separate aviary and a new nest, and surveillance cameras were installed inside the aviary and above the nest to monitor the social dynamics of these individuals and the breeding process in detail. The keepers Aleksandar Miler, Milan Marjanović, Čongor Husta, and Boris Hardi, as well as the zoo’s biologist Slobodan Cvetković, participated in the work and the implementation of the idea.
By mid-February, the first activities related to nest preparation were observed by both individuals. In early March, the female laid one egg and started incubating it. A few days later, a second egg was observed, followed shortly by a third.
