Drama: New incident of golden eagle poisoning – What do the competent bodies complain about |

Another serious case of wildlife poisoning has added new victims to the already long list of animals that have lost their lives due to the illegal use of poisoned baits in the Greek countryside. This time it is a 3rd year Golden Eagle, which was found dead in the area of ​​the village of Perivlepto, Paranesti, Drama. The bird was found with poisoned food in its beak.

The identification of the protected and endangered eagle became possible as the bird brought a satellite transmitter in the framework of a doctoral dissertation for the study of the species in the Department of Biological Applications and Technologies of the University of Ioannina.

The doctoral candidate Lavrentis Sidiropoulos informed the Rodopi Mountain Range Management Agency (FDOR), which immediately proceeded to the formation of a ladder by the FDOR and the Drama Forest Office to manage the incident. According to telemetry indications, the Golden Eagle was poisoned the day before it was found.

Following the members of the ladder, the course of the bird and after an investigation, the poisoned bait that was the cause of his death was located near Polyneri Paranestiou – four kilometers away from the place where the Golden Eagle was found. They were deer entrails, drenched in poisonous dust.

Speaking to APE-MPE, the president of FDOR Stavros Kegahgioglou expressed his great regret for the incident, noting with emphasis that “the incidents with poisoned wild animals have taken on great proportions. “Unfortunately, some, due to lack of education but also elementary perception, continue to cause huge damage to the ecosystem.”

Mr. Kechagioglou points out that wildlife poisoning is due either to the fact that some breeders use poisoned baits to protect their flocks from wolves, or because there is rivalry between hunters trying to poison dogs.

“This tactic is unacceptable and criminal,” he said, adding: “We have told farmers that they can protect their herds with power fences. We have repeatedly held information events, we have made announcements, but unfortunately all our actions do not work as well as they should. It is a matter of education and perception. In the case of the Golden Eagle, someone killed the deer, took the animal and poisoned the entrails that he left to eat which animal and why? It is tragic what is happening. We used to have a similar incident with a pair of vultures that were an endangered species and died in the same way. In fact, in that case, we had problems with the competent services of the European Union “.

In a joint statement, FDOR and the Hellenic Rational Society emphasize -among other things- that “this recent incident brings together a host of violations against wildlife and public health: this is a triple crime involving the killing of two protected species: a deer used for bait and a Golden Eagle, a species strictly protected by Greek, EU and international law. The incident took place inside the Prinolofos-Mavrokordatos Wildlife Refuge and apart from the illegal hunting of the deer itself, poisoned bait was used illegally “.

“It is worth mentioning,” the statement said, “that in the last two years alone, 11 cases of use of poisoned baits have been recorded in the Rodopi Mountains National Park, while at least six more have occurred in the wider area.” Although Golden Eagles, like birds of prey in general, are not the main target of poisoning (such as the wolf, for example), they are often collateral victims, as they consume dead animals they will find in the open, resulting in to a large extent from the illegal use and dispersal in nature of poisoned baits “.