Common Wasp - Bulgaria

The Glagolitic alphabet is the oldest Slavic script. It was developed in the 9th century by two monks and promoted by King Boris I of Bulgaria. The Glagolitic alphabet served a duel purpose; to stop the growing influence of the Byzantine Empire in the Balkan region and to preserve the independence of Slavic Bulgaria.

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Vespula vulgaris - The common wasp is found throughout Europe. It is aposematic, a term describing an animal with a color scheme to discourage potential predators. Established wasp colonies contain one queen and 5,000 to 10,000 workers. The nests are usually built underground and are made by wasps chewing wood fibers into a pulp material similar to papier mâché. The colony will last for one season. The entire caste of workers will die, but the queens may survive for several years and will build a new nest each season.

Eastern Imperial Eagle - Bulgaria

Aquila heliaca - The eastern imperial eagle is monogamous and pairs for life. A couple will build and use several large nests in tall trees standing within modest clearings. This allows an unobstructed view of the surrounding area. The female produces two or three eggs per season, but only one hatchling will survive. In an example of animal fratricide, the first eaglet to hatch will attack and kill the others as they hatch. This behavior threatens the eastern imperial eagle with extinction.

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The First Bulgarian Empire was formed in 681. It contained most of the Balkan Peninsula and stretched its influence into present day Greece and Southern Ukraine. The Byzantine Empire was its chief rival and several wars were fought between the two empires. In 1014, Bulgaria suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Kleidion. The victorious Byzantines dismantled the Bulgarian state. The Second Bulgarian Empire emerged in 1185, but eventually succumbed to the Ottoman Turks in the late 14th century.