IT'S BETTER TO BE A WING-NUT THAN A DEAD-BOLT
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--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: Paul Tout <tout at spin.it>
To: insecta at vtx.ch
Cc: ebn at otax.tky.hut.fi
Subject: Re: For Republic V
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 09:30:18 +0100
Message-ID: <3466C61A.65B4 at spin.it>
References: <3466343B.FDA2AFC3 at vtx.ch>

Hi All,

Republic 5 is now the fourth Bearded Vulture KNOWN to have been killed
from the 72 birds released thus far. The others are:

(Information from Fulvio Genero)

Nina, released Austria 1987 - shot Parc d'Ecrins France 1.8.93

Felix released Switzerland 1993 - found dead 23.3.94 Passo Resia=20
border of Austria and Italy - 11 pellets were found in the corpse

Saturnin released 1987 France - killed 1988 (no other details)=20

Of the 72 birds released 11 are known to be dead, of which 4 were killed
by hunters (... I'm sick of using the word "poachers" to describe these
people... they are hunters who do not obey the rules and are often
little diffferent from the hunters who do... only lack of opportunity
and/or fear of getting caught separate the latter from the former IMHO),
3 died in collisions with overhead cables, 2 were killed in avalanches
and two were found dead in the nest before fledging.

There are indications of other birds having been killed, notably in
Trentino-Alto Adige (Italy) where no absolute proof exists. The
confident behaviour of Bearded Vultures makes them very vulnerable to
the sort of behaviour witnessed last Tuesday in Switzerland. Far bolder
than Golden Eagles, they have great curiosity and birds will often come
within 20 metres of walkers, usually directly overhead for a few
moments. The all-to-regular disappearances of territoral birds
throughout the Alps leads one to suspect that killings are more regular
than the numbers thus far (4/72) suggest.

insecta wrote:
>=20
> On Tuesday the 4th of November, Republic V, a 4 y-old female of
Bearde=
d
> Vulture was shot as it was flying over Crans, in Central Valais
> (Switzerland). Astonished witnesses of the scene found the bird alive
> and kicking. It died before a care centre could be reached. Two days
> later, the poacher, a guy from Valais, admitted his guilt. He may serve
> a prison sentence and to be fined (up to 40.000 CHF) and was clearly
> unaware of it. He now regrets his act but the bird is dead. Houndreds
o=
f
> people, birdwatchers and hunters as well were pleased to see regularly
> Republic V in Valais. Everybody expected that the first swiss-born
> Bearded vulture chick could hatch soon...it won't.
> If you look at the logo of the JO swiss candidature Sion 2006, you will
> see a Bearded vulture, because it is a great symbol of our Alps. Should
> it be wiped out?...
>=20
> Gilles Carron (Neuch=E2tel, Switzerland)

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