Poisoning of Abdim’s Storks
Category: carbofuran | Date: Mar 30 2009 | By: Martin Odino
Hi people! It is so disturbing that most of the birds that I have encountered poisoned during this March-April phase of my study are migrants. Just corresponds with the time when the visitors are about to take off to their breeding lands. While most of my earlier posts have depicted use of live decoys to enhance furadan poisoning, I have just witnessed another form of poisoning; using termites laced in Furadan to poison birds. This seems a form of poisoning way worse that the decoy technique, and kills indiscriminately a whole range of bird species. Decoy technique is rather restricted to African Open-billed Storks which are specialist snail feeders.
Yesterday, I watched sadly as a group of 13 meek Abdim’s Storks walked to their deaths. The poacher got his baits ready then went ahead to herd the birds where the baits had been laid. I had the opportunity to watch it all happen and this is how it all went:
The poacher is readying his poisoning gear above. Mark the purple furadan solution in the tiny container at the lower side of the photo.
Stirring to evenly mix the poisonous solution.
Spreading open of the polythene bag with termtes in readiness to mix the termites with the furadan solution.
The poacher using his bear hands to lace the termites with furadan just prior to setting out the baits and herding the Abdim’s to the bait.
The eventual death of the beautiful storks hardly an hour later!
More Abdim’s carcasses being examined by my assistant.
Surely, this pesticide is up to no good.
Tags: Abdim's Stork, furadan, Poacher, poisoning
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7 Responses to “Poisoning of Abdim’s Storks”
admin, on 30 Mar 2009
Please watch this fantastic video on CBS which covers the Furadan, USA link and poisoning of lions in Kenya. http://lionguardians.wildlifedirect.org/2009/03/30/60-minutes-new-lion-cubs/
Brenton H, on 31 Mar 2009
Keep up the good work reporting all of these atrocities against wildlife! FMC Corporation should burn in hell and get their evil Furadan out of Africa and everywhere else it is killing birds! I read a tiny report in our Adelaide newspaper about the situation in Kenya. Is there anywhere people can write, to pressure governments to take action against such poisons being used?
Martin, on 31 Mar 2009
Hi Brenton and the rest. I am glad you are following up with this poisoning nightmare in Kenya.We have tried reaching out to government agencies responsible for pesticide regulation. The two major ones are the Pesticide Control Products Board and Agricultural Association of Kenya. It’s a shame they won’t cooperate and keep asking for evidence to prove that surely furadan is a killer pesticide. Through such publicity of the reality at hand as depicted on this blog, we hope to secure audience and hopefully get into dialogue with these agencies again, and this time work out something proconservation.
Dana-Phoenix Arizona, on 31 Mar 2009
I saw the 60 Minutes show here in the USA. Quite an keyopener for folks that have not heard about Furadan before - I have through this website.
FMC Corp. has stopped the shipment to Kenya, but the thing to have happen most importantly is get that poision off the shelves in the shops in Kenya. Probably a big fat chance that can’t happen I know.
So are these storks good eating? What an absolute waste of beautiful wildlife - not these birds, but as you say all the others that are poisioned.
Do you think these poachers are smart enough to wash their hands after handling the Furadan? Maybe they think it won’t affect them.
Yes, what can we do to help?
Dana-Phoenix Arizona, on 31 Mar 2009
You were watching these guys and taking photos? Did they ask you why you were interested?
Martin, on 31 Mar 2009
Hi Dana, I watched as they poisoned! I am doing a study to quantify the threat of furadan to birds, a case study of this area which is Bunyala Rice Scheme. I am trying not to bias my results by telling them to STOP! A sad painful affair since I am an ornithologist.
I have been coming to this area since last year so I bet they have just gotten used to me. Others however tell me off, or even take off at my sight but I have tried to make them understand that I m doing an important study and even their lives may be at risk here.I hope to introduce them to other economic activities such vegetable farming, since they claim to be just struggling for their upkeep. It is a tedious affair to be honest and not worth of their efforts and destructive to wildlife when you watch a poisoning operation.
I doubt the birds are safe for human consumption but they claim that the mode of preparing them detoxifies the meat. I wrote about this in a recent post:Detoxification of Furadan. Further, the guys are not careful to wash their hands clean, as I have witnessed but they do know for sure that Furadan is a deadly poison.
Thanks about the information that FMC have stopped shipment of Furadan to Kenya. May be that explains the risen cost of the pesticide. A 200gram pack that used to cost about 2.5 dollars now costs between 5 and 7.5 dollars though this has not dettered thhe poachers from poisoning.
Dana-Phoenix Arizona, on 01 Apr 2009
Thanks Martin for your reply. It has to be painful to watch the deaths of any animals, but maybe even more so since you are an ornithologist. Glad you are trying to help them with alternate ways of farming.
I think I read under the Bushmeat blog and there is NO guaranteed way of making any poisioned meat safe for human comsumption - one just takes their chances.
Not washing you hands is stupid to say the least!
I re-read my above post to you and said these storks were not beautiful birds. I didn’t mean that I meant killing other wildlife beside the storks. Geesh, I’m sorry about that.
Very interesting that the cost of Furadan has doubled and then some! Obviously, the shopkeepers have heard that the Furadan may be in short supply and want to get as much as then can while they have it.
If Furadan is not a killer pesticide according to Pesticide Control Products Board and Agricultural Association of Kenya why don’t they spread it in their yards and watch the birds and their neighbors cats and dogs die! End of my rant!
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