The First Anti Poison Dog Unit in Bulgaria to Secure the Eagle and Vulture Populations Persistence

The first anti poison dog unit in Bulgaria to secure the eagle and vulture populations persistence

II International Scientific and Practical Conference Eagles of Palearctic: Study and Conservation 7–10 September 2018 Park-Hotel Lake Aya, Katun vill., Altay Kray, Russia Dobromir Dobrev Bulgarian society for the protection of birds/Birdlife Bulgaria

www.life-vultures.com

The history of poisoning in Bulgaria Since 50‘s the use of poison baits is a common practice in the Balkan countries including Bulgaria; In the 50‘s and 60‘ s the Forestry authorities and hunters were using poison baits to control “harmful” mammals, like bears, wolves and foxes. The main substances used strychnine; For only two decades most of the raptor species were almost entirely extirpated due to poisoning, although the vultures have never been declared as “pest species” The use of poisons was prohibited in 1967, however the last campaign to exterminate carnivores is done in 1989 – 1990;

Because of the strychnine poisoning the Black vulture went extinct as a breeder from Bulgaria and NW Balkans.

Griffons, the raven and the wolf were on the edge of extinction in BG; In 2003, at least 5 Egyptian vultures were poisoned near Krumovgrad, Eastern Rhodopes. Since 1994 at least 16 Egyptian vultures were poisoned in BG; In BG the highest recorded mortality after poisoning occurred in 1996, when 5 adult, 1 subadult and 5 juveniles G.fulvus, were found dead (Hristov, 1997);

The main reasons: Loses of livestok caused by wolves (human – predator conflict) Conflict between hunters and shepherds/farmers and between local pople (human – human conflict)

The main substances used: Strychnine – banned but still available, widely used in the 50‘s and 60‘s against wolves; Carbamates - Carbofuran(Furadan) – pesticide banned in the EU; used in Kenya to poison lions; Methomyl(Lanate) – used by pigeon breeders; Poison coctails or the illegal use of legal substances

Official reports

Mortality of juvenile and immature Imperial eagles was recorded in the period 1992-2013, including 25 individuals;

In the period 1979-2011 38 mortality cases are registered in the species whereas 16 of them are due to poisoning1 1Demerdzhiev,

D., Hristov, H., Dobrev, D., Angelov, I., Kurtev, M. 2014. Long-term population status, breeding parameters and limiting factors of the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) population in Eastern Rhodopes, Bulgaria. Acta zool. bulg., 66 (3): 373-384.

Analysis of the causes of Egyptian Vulture mortality (N = 61) in Bulgaria and Greece (1997 – 2015) (central pie chart), and detailed breakdown of each type of cause for the same period (natural causes in left pie chart & human induced-causes in right pie chart)1

Egyptian vulture mortality 1997 – 2015: The most frequent humaninduced reason of death was poisoning (86%) followed by direct persecution (8%). Adult birds the most frequent victim!

1Saravia,

V., Kret, E., Dobrev, V. & Nikolov S. C. 2016. Assessment of mortality causes for the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) in Bulgaria and Greece (1997-2015). Fact sheet under action A1 of the LIFE+ project “The Return of the Neophron” (LIFE10 NAT/BG/000152). HOS, Athens. 6 p.

LIFE RE-Vultures LIFE14NAT/NL/901 STARTED IN 2016 IN BULGARIA AND GREECE

Meet Niki and Bars!

Selected and trained in Hungary

Dog unit efectiveness (by LIFE10 NAT/HU/000019)

Антиотровни дейности

Първият кучешки екип за борба с отровите в България сформиран през есента на 2016 г. Екипът провежда ежедневни тренировки

`Ready for action

Where

Work in 3 regions Eastern Rhodopes and Kresna gorge with focus on vulture species Sakar and Strandzha mountains focusing the imperial eagle population

The work load so far: Kresna gorge – 2 patrols, 3450±1060 m per patrol Eastern Rhodopes – 33 patrols, 1316±899 m per patrol Sakar mountains/Strandzha mountains – 12 patrols, 1238±730 m per patrol

Case studies...

• • • •

• THE VERY FIRST CASE (OCTOBER 2016) 7 wolves, 5 sheperd dogs, 2 foxes, 1 stone marten, 1 hedgehog, 1 wild boar, one griffon vulture (reported from local hunter as falling from the sky).

As poison baits were used intestines,head and legs from sheep and a carcass of a calf killed by wolves.

The police and the prosecuters started an investigation on the case We suspected either strychnine or lannate (methomyl)

Kresna gorge – March 2 30+ Griffons dead

Kresna gorge October 2017

What is next?

The dog networking

Thank you for your attention!