Free as a bird: Rare Serbian eagle rescued and returned through Lebanon

A rare eastern imperial eagle, named Feliks, is once again soaring over Serbia after a remarkable ordeal involving bird smugglers and an international rescue effort. The young raptor's journey took an alarming turn when its migration path veered toward the Middle East in July 2025, raising concerns among wildlife experts tracking the protected species.

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At that point, we started to worry because we could see that he was heading towards an extremely unsafe region.

"At that point, we started to worry because we could see that he was heading towards an extremely unsafe region," Uros Stojiljkovic of the Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia told AFP. Feliks' signal vanished in late October, with his last known location in Syria. Stojiljkovic confirmed the eagle had been "birdnapped," with captors demanding a ransom, a demand the society refused to meet.

After lengthy negotiations, Feliks was handed over to a wildlife center in Beirut, Lebanon, where he spent six months. In June, Serbian troops on a peacekeeping mission facilitated his return to Serbia. Following a period of rehabilitation at Palic Zoo, Feliks was released back into the wild this week.

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We categorically refused. By doing so, you are effectively supporting that smuggling chain.

Eastern imperial eagles are critically endangered, with Serbia's population having dwindled to just one breeding pair in 2017. However, dedicated conservation efforts have seen a recovery, with 29 pairs monitored in 2026 and four chicks born this year. One chick was even named in honor of Michel Sawan, head of the Lebanese organization that aided in Feliks' rescue.

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We hope he will manage to fly at least as far as the first time, when he reached the shores of Asia and Africa.