WATCH: Three White Storks Shot Down Over Malta In The Middle Of The Night
Birdlife Malta has confirmed that three protected white storks were shot down on Friday in the Rabat/Dingli area. The storks were part of a flock of 18 birds that had been spotted both in Gozo as well as Malta earlier on that day, but were reportedly shot down just a few hours after landing in Malta.
A video uploaded by Birdlife shows the body of one of the shot birds in a field in the dead of night. It’s feathers can be seen caught on a nearby tree. Birdlife filmed the retrieval of the dead bird’s body after whoever shot the bird left it behind.
“This afternoon 18 White Storks visited Malta,” said Birdlife in a statement. “They were spotted in Gozo and then later on in Malta in Rabat and Mdina. At one point a member of the public witnessed a hunter shooting down three of the storks. Two were collected but when the hunter realised he was being watched he left the third one behind. The Administrative Law Enforcement (ALE) police unit was informed over 30 minutes ago, yet till now there has been no response while Rabat police officers are monitoring a smaller flock from these 18 that have rested in the limits of Żebbuġ.”
Birdlife have called on the public to keep an eye out and to inform them or the police if any illegal hunting is spotted
Birdlife and the authorities are currently investigating the case, but have appealed to the general public for any help they can offer. You can contact Birdlife Malta through their Facebook page or by calling 21347646.
Have you ever spotted any illegal hunting?
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