A red kite from an EU research project, tagged with a GPS transmitter, is said to have been killed in the Innviertel (Upper Austria). There is no trace of the bird, only the GPS transmitter that the animal was carrying has been found. It’s getting tight for the perpetrator.
Rainer Raab is very upset. Since April 5, the red kite “Toreko_01”, which he equipped with a transmitter in southern Sweden in the summer of 2022, has been considered lost. The protected bird of prey had spent the winter in France and arrived in the Braunau district on March 28, according to GPS data. Most recently he stayed in the border area of the municipalities of Auerbach and Feldkirchen near Mattighofen. But suddenly there were no more movement reports from him.
environmental crimes
During a house search in Auerbach, the GPS module was found at the edge of the forest in the Höring district, but it was tied with cable ties to the foot of a dead pigeon. There was no trace of the red kite. The bird protection organization BirdLife believes the killing was illegal. “Anyone who does something like that can’t be completely normal. This is an environmental crime for which zero tolerance is possible,” says the biologist.
Traveling in the EU area
The 52-year-old travels with colleagues almost all year round to various EU countries for the LIFE Eurokite species protection project to equip protected birds of prey with GPS transmitters. Among other things, 2,300 red kites already wear one. “Our research goal is to find out what causes them to die. Unfortunately, according to the results so far, more than a quarter of red kites are killed by humans,” Raab emphasises.
In Upper Austria alone, 13 red kites have been proven illegally killed since 2017. “In some parts of the Innviertel, birds of prey are particularly threatened.”
track to the culprit
The poachers risk a prison sentence of up to two years. Technological advances make it easier to track them down. “In the current case, it can be traced to within a few meters where the red kite died. And we know the time of his death almost to the second. I am therefore confident that we will investigate the perpetrator.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
