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SHAUN SMILLIEshaun.smillie@inl.co.za
SHE HAS made this
transcontinental crossing
before, but this time the
fear is that she will fall victim
to a catastrophe that threatens
to destroy her species.
To a small group of bird
enthusiasts she is known sim-
ply as 95778, an Amur falcon
that has a small matchbox-
sized satellite transmitter
strapped to her back.
For nearly three years this
GPS transmitter has given
science a glimpse into the
14 500km migratory route this
pigeon-sized bird of prey
makes between South Africa
and Mongolia.
95778 is on a return trip to
South Africa, but she has
stopped over at a killing field.
Her last recorded position
has her in the remote north-
east Indian state of Nagaland.
Late last month a team of
Indian conservationists trav-
elled to the Doyang reservoir in
Nagaland and what they found
shocked them.
Tens of thousands of Amur
falcons are being caught and
sold for bush meat.
The numbers, they believe,
are large enough to affect the
survival of the species.
“What was shocking was
not the sight of dead birds, but
the scale of hunting,” says
Ramki Sreenivasan of Conser-
vation India.
The hunters, Sreenivasan
says, set fishing nets high in
the trees.
The birds are caught as they
head to roost in the evenings.
He estimates that at the height
of the migration about 15 000
birds are killed daily.
“The peak of the migration
lasts for about 10 to 15 days,”
Sreenivasan explains. It could
mean that a quarter of a mil-
lion birds are slaughtered over
this two-week period. Once the
birds are caught, he says,
hunters break the birds’ wings
and keep them alive in pens
made from mosquito netting.
The birds are sold for the
equivalent of between R2.40
and R3.75 at markets.
“The birds that arrive here
are probably tired,” says
Sreenivasan. “They get stuck
and hang until the hunter
arrives early in the morning to
disentangle them.”
Dr Craig Symes, an
ornithologist at Wits Univer-
sity, believes that such mass
killings are likely to have a
detrimental effect on Amur fal-
con populations in South
Africa. No one knows what the
global population of this bird
species is, but a count of Amur
falcon roosts in South Africa in
2009 gave a figure of 111 000
birds.
Back in 2009, German bird-
watcher Professor Dr Bernd-
Ulrich Meyburg and his wife,
Christina, travelled to Newcas-
tle, KwaZulu-Natal, and with
the help of members of
BirdLife Northern Natal
caught and attached satellite
transmitters to 10 Amur fal-
cons. Now, three years later,
only 95778’s transmitter contin-
ues to plot her journey.
Rina Pretorius of BirdLife
Northern Natal says Meyburg
told her on Monday night that
the bird had been at the Naga-
land site for the past two days.
“She told me that the bird is
at that exact same spot [where
they are killing them] and that
she expected her to move off in
the next two days.”
If 95778 makes it, she could
be back in South Africa by next
month.
“All we can do is hold
thumbs,” Pretorius says.
The killing of Amurs is
illegal in Nagaland, says
Sreenivasan.
He says India is a signatory
to the Convention on Migratory
Species which is bound to pro-
vide safe passage to any migrat-
ing animal.
Conservation India has
informed authorities of the
hunting, and the chief wildlife
warden of Nagaland has issued
instructions to seize netting
and warn offenders that they
can be arrested.
“This will be the last year
that this happens,” Sreeni-
vasan says.
“It is fixable, by hook, crook
or carriage stick.”
The Star THURSDAY NOVEMBER 8 2012 17NEWS
TRAPPED: Hunters break the Amur falcons’ wings and throw thebirds into pens made of mosquito netting, where they are kept aliveuntil they are sold.
LAWLESS: Killing these tiny birds of prey is illegal in Nagaland – butthat doesn’t stop hunters from catching the birds in fishing nets highin trees as they head to roost in the evenings. EASY PREY: Thousands of Amur falcons are caught in hunters’ nets daily during the migration period as they head across India en route to southern Africa.
FLIGHT INTOTHEKILLING FIELD
NO CHANCE: After the birds are caught, their wings are broken sothey can’t escape. They are then thrown into mosquito-net pens.
MEAGRE: A bird is sold for the equivalent of R2.40 to R3.75 at thelocal markets – not much, but a living for people who earn little else.
SLAUGHTER: At the peak of the migration, over about two weeks,almost a quarter of a million birds are killed – about 15 000 a day.
She has fought hazards around the world. Now she may be facing death
SAMANTHA HARTSHORNE
CHRISTMAS Day will mark 125
years since Glenfiddich single
malt Scotch Whisky first ran
through the copper pot stills at a
family-built distillery in
Scotland. The brew-house,
meaning Valley of the Deer, was
the dream of malt master
William Grant and his nine
children, who were all
instrumental in producing the
first glass of clear, gold spirit.
Ian Millar, global brand
ambassador for Glenfiddich
Scotch whisky since 1998 and in
the country for the annual
Whisky Live festival, says South
Africans have responded well to
Glenfiddich since it came on to
the market 15 years ago.
Peter Gordon, fifth generation
descendant of founder William
Grant is a director of the
company and attributes the
success of the Glenfiddich brand
to the founding father.
“The pioneering spirit of my
great-great-grandfather is at the
heart of everything we do at
Glenfiddich. It inspires us to
push the boundaries and create
new, innovative expressions of
the finest single malt Scotch
whisky.”
Millar agrees, saying the
Glenfiddich is unique in that it is
the only single malt Scotch
whisky still made in Scotland.
A tradition of exceptional
malt masters followed the
inspiration of Grant and further
boosted the brand. David Stewart
celebrated 45 years as
Glenfiddich malt master when he
retired in 2009 – the longest
serving master blender to
remain with any one distiller in
the industry.
The liquid gold produced on
the other side of the world in 1887
and still brewed in Dufftown, is
the perfect accompaniment to
the South African Christmas
lunch, 125 years to the day
William Grant poured the first
dram.
According to Millar, whisky is
traditionally served as a ‘dram’
which is a double tot and best
enjoyed in a tulip style glass that
has a deep belly and tapered lip
that concentrates the aroma.
The temperature at which
whisky is drunk is very
important, to release the aroma.
Millar says he warms his glass
by cupping it in his hand before
the liquid is poured.
Ice on the other hand, inhibits
the aroma.
Whisky Live is on at the
Sandton Convention centre until
Friday.
GOING STRONG: Workers in the Glenfiddich distillery.
Glenfiddich celebrates 125th anniversary
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