Sulcis campo antibracconaggio LIPU 2010/2011 SARDEGNA Annalise Falzon Camp participant 24 th...

Sulcis campo antibracconaggio LIPU

2010/2011SARDEGNA

Annalise Falzon

Camp participant 24th December – 2nd JanuaryEmail: cetfree@gmail.com

Info and VolunteeringDescriptionIn Sardinia poaching is an illegal tradition. They illegally catch birds and sell them

to restaurants to cook a traditional dish called "griva" prepared with 8 little birds.

Poachers usually build hundreds of several-kilometres long paths in the mountains in order to install hundreds or even thousands of bird-snares. They also hunt ilelgally within a protected area which is part of the biggest Mediterranean forest in Europe near the town of Capoterra (Cagliari).

Aim of the camp:

Our goal is to dismantle every single trap, destroy paths and draw public attention to this issue. This is a threat that kills thousands of animals every year. Five years ago, during our first volunteer workcamp, we dismantled 20,000 snares in just one week!

Info here: http://www.goabroad.com/providers/l-i-p-u-reggio-calabria/programs/volunteer-workcamp-against-poaching-in-sardinia-italy-62698

Contact : Giovanni Malara, Lipu Reggio Calabria lipurc@libero.it

Info on the 2010-11 camp

• Conferenza stampa del Comando Provinciale Carabinieri Cagliari e della LIPU sull'operazione congiunta contro il bracconaggio. Servizio del TGR Sardegna andato in onda il giorno 08-01-2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMSOQ9xV0nY

• Camera work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXJndcIp6RU

• Info: http://www.lipu.it/news/no.asp?1095

Birds caught include: • Song Thrush (Malvizz) It.Tordo bottaccio • Robin (Pitirross) It. Pettirosso • Blackbird (Malvizz Iswed) It. Merlo

Birds are killed using a combination of illegal:• Aerial traps - looped nylon or horse hair held by the two metal hooks located at head level on shrub branches) which cause the strangulation of the bird as it flies amongst the maquis vegetation. These can be found at very brief intervals from eachother – even at just a metre interval. • Ground traps – a berry is placed on a level stone on the ground and a metal arm/branch is placed in the soil with the nylon noose at the tip and it is activated as soon as the bird comes to eat the fruit and ends up strangled/ entangled often facing a long, painful death•Vertical nets especially along hill ridges and running for several metres using trees as poles.•Along the way it is quite easy to also find illegal snares for wild boar and to kill wild cats.

Photo: foto archivio LIPU Reggio Calabria

Strangled Song ThrushPhoto: Francesco Misitano

Ground Traps (Lacci a terra)

Hangman’s noose

Ground Traps (Lacci a terra)

Arbutus unedo fruits in preparation of a new poaching trail

Aerial Traps (Trappole aeree)

Photo: foto archivio LIPU Reggio Calabria

Strangled Sardinian WarblerPhoto: Francesco Misitano

Photo: Lorenzo Sarzi

The traps are not selective – small raptors can also get entangled. This kestrel was luckily found alive and subsequently freed

Volunteers walk for long stretches mostly in high maquis of Phyllirea, Myrtle, Strawberry Trees and Lentisk to seek out new poaching routes as well as known and destroyed trails which may have been re-established by the poacher. Birds are caught and killed illegally and sold for use in local dishes.

Photo: Gabriele Zambelli

One lucky guy found in vertical net and freed in time thanks to the great work carried out incessantly by volunteer patrols.