A Long-legged buzzard without passport stopped her “travel” to Evros custom in Kipoi

07.09.2014

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• A Long-legged buzzard without passport stopped her “travel” to Evros custom in Kipoi

Five months after the seminar to the Kipoi custom, the custom officers called us for a raptor found in a car that entered from Turkey to Greece. In the framework of LIFE+ project "The return of the Neophron" we carried out seminars in 5 customs in Evros and Rodopi prefectures focused on bird crime and specifically the illegal trade and traffic of raptor and vultures' species. We were delighted from the prompt response of custom officers who called us to identify the bird. The Forest Service promptly responded and sent a representative who is also member of the Life steering committee. The foreign traveler held a Long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) without rings or papers to prove its origin and carried it from Turkey to England. The custom and forest officers acted based on relative laws for smuggling and illegal traffic of rare species and the traveler was punished with a fine of 768 euro from Custom and a fine over 1500 euro from Forest Service. Moreover he was led to the prosecutor where sentenced for attempting to smuggle in the country a wild fauna species with 20 days in jail and two years' suspension while he was charged with the cost of the trial. The Long-legged buzzard was seized by Forest Service and now is hosted in a cage in Dadia where the Dadia National Park Agency staff is taking care of it.
It's the first time of recording a raptors' traffic in Evros customs. This trade is flourishing in many countries where the possession of raptors associated with either traditional habits as falconry or private collector's needs. As Greece is situated in the cross-road from east to west a specific wake-up of authorities is needed for passing raptors such as this incident or raptors that may are captured in the Greek countryside.

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