One of the most interesting parts of our conservation program is releasing vipers back into their natural habitat. This year on the 30th of July fifty Hungarian meadow vipers had been released in two sites of the Fertő-Hanság National Park. The snakes were born and have spent their early life at the Hungarian Meadow Viper Conservation Centre. Vipers had been reintroduced into two separate, fenced, specially protected grasslands previously used as farmlands.
The reintroduction aims to stabilize and increase the Hungarian meadow viper population living in those habitats and enrich the species genetic variability.
After releasing vipers, we still keep an eye on them. Five of the released animals were previously equipped with radio transmitters. These devices allow us to monitor vipers and learn essential information about their movement and behavioral patterns.
During the 20 years of the project, a total of 592 Hungarian meadow vipers were released to their natural habitat.
