A flamingo was found dead in Lake Paralimni.
According to BirdLife Cyprus, the dead flamingo was located by a citizen who took it to a nearby veterinary clinic for examination to investigate the causes of death.
The x-ray showed a large amount of shrapnel in the stomach (due to consumption) and shrapnel in the legs (due to shooting).
"The bird probably did not die from the shot (completely by accident though), but from poisoning from the lead shrapnel in its stomach, which is particularly worrying regarding the lead levels in Lake Paralimni" reports BirdLife Cyprus.
Here is the announcement of BirdLife Cyprus:
"Twice victim" Flamingo who was found dead yesterday in Lake Paralimni by an informed citizen was taken to a nearby veterinary clinic for examination, to investigate the causes of death. The x-ray showed a large amount of shrapnel in the stomach (due to consumption) and shrapnel in the legs (due to shooting). The bird probably did not die from the shot (completely by accident though), but from poisoning by the lead shrapnel in its stomach, which is particularly worrying regarding the lead levels in Lake Paralimni.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) and other non-predatory bird species have been shot illegally in the otherwise protected Lake Paralimni. Such tragic events remind us again and again of the persistent problems facing this region, for the inadequate protection of which Cyprus has been condemned in the past by the European Court of Justice. It is recalled that lead is extremely toxic not only to birds, but also to our soils and waters, and consequently to human health. The use of lead pellets is prohibited in Cyprus within a radius of 300 meters from wetlands, salt flats and dams. And so we wonder…
- Why is hunting allowed in such an important and protected wetland? And since it is allowed, how do the authorities monitor and ensure the use of non-lead shrapnel in the area?
- Why is there still a shooting range inside Lake Paralimni? Why not move the shooting range to another area? (The removal of the shooting range was also a promise made to the EU…)
Areas such as Lake Paralimni are not accidentally protected. The designation of such areas is based on scientific criteria and legislation, and the state must protect them properly. Nevertheless, Lake Paralimni seems to be left more or less to its fate. ”