Death by poison: dead bird of prey found in Middle Franconia – “terrifying”
Created: 04/27/2022, 17:59
By: Felix Herz
Poisoned bait: dead red kite found in Middle Franconia.
© Martina Widuch/LBV picture archive/dpa
A dead bird of prey was found in Middle Franconia.
The laboratory results have now shown that the red kite had been poisoned.
The remedy is also known.
Gerolfingen – A bird of prey died in Middle Franconia after eating poisoned bait.
A toxicological investigation has shown that a red kite found dead in Gerolfingen (Ansbach district) was poisoned with the active ingredient pentobarbital, the government of Middle Franconia announced.
Middle Franconia: Bird of prey poisoned with sleeping pills
The substance pentobarbital is used in human medicine as a sleeping pill and in veterinary medicine as a sleep aid.
Unknown people apparently laid out bait to kill birds of prey, according to the government statement.
Numerous birds of prey had already been killed last year - albeit with the insecticide carbofuran, which has been banned in the EU since 2007.
Markus Bachmann, chairman of the Ansbach district group of the State Association for the Protection of Birds (LBV), is also concerned: “It is frightening that strictly protected species such as peregrine falcons, hawks, red kites, buzzards, but also owls, storks, herons and ravens are being killed illegally .” Bachmann and his colleagues are now hoping for evidence from witnesses.
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Poisoned birds of prey in Bavaria: Rare birds have many enemies
Birds of prey fall prey to poisoned baits with sad regularity.
In most cases, carrier pigeon and poultry breeders are behind the attacks, but hunters who regard the birds of prey as competition in the hunt for small game such as hares are also suspected to be behind the deeds.
This illegal hunt often hides the misconception that birds of prey are responsible for the sharp decline in brown hares, among other things.
However, this decline is more due to the fact that, according to the Nature Conservation Union, the animals find fewer breeding sites and insects - thanks to industrial agriculture.
(fh)