Endangered Gyrfalcons Seized in Russia
19 March 2009
by Anai Rhoads
AnaiRhoads.org -- Six endangered birds were confiscated by Russian authorities during a botched smuggling operation at a military airport located near Moscow Thursday.
Gyrfalcons are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which makes international capture, trade and sale of these birds illegal.
The Russian environmental watchdog Russian Federal Agency for Nature Resources Supervision (Rosprirodnadzor) released the Gyrfalcons over to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and a Moscow based Wild Animal Rescue Center (WARC).
The Gyrfalcons had been stacked one on the top of another in a small cardboard box, which led them to be very frail. So far, only one bird is eating on its own while the others are being force-fed. All 6 birds survived the ordeal, but they are not out of the woods yet.
"Immediately after the seizure, one of the birds became very weak and we were concerned that she would not make it through the first night. Gyrfalcons are listed in the Russia Red Book as critically endangered and completely banned for trade and export under CITES. Although the capture of this species in Russia is illegal, dozens of these wild birds are seized by customs, police or special service in Moscow airports annually," said IFAW's Grigory Tsidulko.
There are less than 2,000 wild Gyrfalcons left in Russia. These birds are heavily sought after by falconers and can bring in anywhere from $10,000 up to $100,000 on the black market. Smugglers target female falcons due to their bulkier size, hunting skills, and greater profit return.
"The Gyrfalcon is a very rare falcon species, but because of their remarkable hunting skills there is a big demand for these birds among falcon hunters in the Middle East. IFAW’s goal is to protect these wonderful birds from poachers and smugglers, and to return them to their natural habitat to help conserve the rare species of Russia," says Masha Vorontsova, IFAW's Russia director.
Once the their health has recovered, they will be flown 6,800 miles (11,000 km) to Kamchatka. Gyrfalcons can mainly be found above the Polar Circle, from the Kola Peninsula to Chukotka.
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