20-Apr-23, 07:13:19 AM
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Other Nature Related Information / General Nature Discussion / Cairo Airport authorities foil falcon-smuggling operation
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on: 07-Nov-16, 05:37:24 PM
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Falcon smuggler apprehended at Cairo International AirportNovember 2, 2016Security authorities at Cairo International Airport managed to stop an Egyptian passenger who had attempted to smuggle 41 peregrine falcons into Bahrain, where he allegedly intended to sell the iconic birds.
The falcons were seized and confiscated after a customs officer charged with monitoring an x-ray scanner detected suspicious dark items inside large bags.
They discovered sedated falcons. In an apparent attempt to prevent them from opening their eyes and panicking, the smugglers had stitched closed their eyes with surgical threads.
The boxes in which they were found also contained ice bags to keep them cool during transit although it was likely that direct contact with the ice was dangerous to the birds.
Upon notification, the Director General of Cairo Airport Veterinary Quarantine, Dr. Safwat Al Mubarak, determined that the falcons were peregrines.
According to App I rules of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), international trade in peregrine falcons for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited. According to Dr. Mubarak, the value of a single falcon can reach 300,000 Egyptian pounds, about $34,000 USD.
The birds were transferred to the wildlife administration in the Giza Zoo for care. "Following the removal of eye stitches and wing wraps, treatment of wounds and necessary investigation, the birds would be released into their natural habitat in near future," Dr. Ragy Toma, head of wildlife administration said.
IFAW MENA office is currently following up with the CITES Management Authority of Egypt to offer any assistance they may need for release.
For centuries, falcons have held a particular cultural significance in the Middle East, where traditional falconry is still widely practiced.
With the intent of eliminating the illegal trade in falcons in their countries, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other Arabian peninsula countries established a falconry passport scheme requiring that all falcons must have passports that are granted to their owners only after those owners provide authorities with, among other information, requisite CITES documentation.I want to know what penalties this individual will face. Many years of incarceration would be appropriate.  Wherever they intend to release these birds, I hope they will be okay. I also hope they are at a stage where they have learned to hunt. The one in the photo with the article is a juvie. http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/news/cairo-airport-authorities-foil-falcon-smuggling-operation
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Other Nature Related Information / General Nature Discussion / Re: Southern Cross Peregrine Project — Island Girl
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on: 01-Nov-16, 10:26:52 PM
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The two most recent blog entries, from Donald McCall:
28 October, 2016
Continuing South Again
Island Girl departed Limón yesterday afternoon after spending 6 nights in that city; she flew southeast for 164 km (102 mi), crossed the border into Panama, and roosted last night in the forest about 7 kilometers south of Chiriqui Lagoon.
31 October, 2016
Island Girl Has Reached South America
After spending a couple of easy days crossing Panama to the tip of the Azuero Peninsula, Island Girl crossed the Gulf of Panama yesterday. She flew over open water for 412 km (256 mi), and made landfall in South America about a third of the way down the Pacific Coast of Colombia. In the seven previous southern migrations for which we have tracked Island Girl, she just reached the southeastern tip of Panama or the northwestern tip of Colombia when she made this crossing, so this is easily her longest flight over the Gulf of Panama.
Last night she roosted in the coastal rainforest about 14 km (9 mi) from the Pacific Ocean.
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Other Nature Related Information / General Nature Discussion / Re: Southern Cross Peregrine Project — Island Girl
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on: 01-Nov-16, 10:20:28 PM
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Island Girl continues on her odyssey. Yesterday, she reached South America. She has now traveled 5,365 miles, and has been on migration for 44 days. She took her time traversing Central America, and stopped off at her favorite places. She spent six days in Limón, Costa Rica. During that time there were three map entries with no movement, so this was cause for concern. Then she was on the move once more, with another 102-mile flight.  While she was in Limón, a group of people from the Ornithological Society of Costa Rica saw her in flight, and one member captured a distant photo of Island Girl.  She was headed north in the photo while making a circuit of the area, and on the hunt. |
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840
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Other Nature Related Information / Falcon Web Cams / Re: San Jose Peregrines
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on: 30-Oct-16, 11:19:34 PM
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I could find no other information, so I emailed Glenn Stewart to see if he was aware of this. He replied, and said he would try to find out. In the meantime, I had also emailed the author of the article, Joan Morris, in case she had any further information. I had the impression that she might either have, or have seen, photos. I included some information on this year's two juvies, Zephyr, banded U/75, and his sister Haley, banded 72/Z. I did not know if the bird which had been found was an adult or a juvie. She got back to me, and sent me the photos she had. Very sadly, the bands showed that this was little Zephyr. I sent the information and photos on to Glenn Stewart, who banded Zephyr back in June of this year. I had no way to contact the man who found Zephyr, and who was concerned enough to ask what he should do, so I asked Joan if she could pass on the information to him. Poor little Zephyr. He had been doing so well until now. These beautiful birds are so strong in some ways, and yet so fragile.  |
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