The indiscriminate, widespread and intense killing of vultures, eagles and other birds continues unabated in the Middle East – unfortunately illegal hunting is still rampant there, with a strong impact on the millions of birds that pass through the region in their Spring and Fall migrations.
The situation this fall migration is no different – the news from the field indicates another intense barrage of fire waiting everything moving south. It was thus with no surprise – but with sadness –that VCF received recently the photograph above, of a griffon vulture shot in Lebanon.
This particular individual was captured and tagged in Gamla Nature Reserve by the Israel Nature and Parks authority on 12 June last year. It was seen on and off in Israel, mostly in Gamla, until the end of April this year (28.04.2015), and then maybe migrated north to Turkey or the Balkans, but in the end met its end in Lebanon.
Hunting in Lebanon is actually illegal, as the country authorıties pushed for a nation-wide ban, while preparing a revamped hunting legislation, which has been finally approved in December 2012. The hunting ban is still on, until the Lebanese minister of environment declares the opening of the hunting season through an official decree – however, the killing never stopped, with killers emptying their guns everyday close to schools, houses and people – a mockery of the law and of the authority of the Lebanese state.
One death exposed – how many other vultures and eagles have perished this year?
