Andean Condors found poisoned in Argentina
03/02/2018
Vulture deaths through poisoning aren’t just a problem in Africa and Eurasia – in January, 34 Andean Condors were found dead in the Argentinian Andes, alongside a Puma laced with poison.
On Monday 22 January, the remains of the Puma, along with those of sheep and goats, were discovered near the town of Los Molles, Mendoza Province, in the Andes mountains of Argentina, with the Andean Condor corpses adjacent.
"While this is not the first such case of mass condor deaths in Argentina, the record number of deceased individuals raises a huge red flag," says Hernán Casañas, Executive Director of Aves Argentinas (BirdLife Partner). These 34 condors raise the species’ unnatural death toll in Argentina to more than 60 birds in the past year alone. This includes 19 condors found dead in Jujuy Province in March 2017, in another mass fatality.
The cause of death is as heartbreaking as it is needless. In Argentina, many ranchers use poisoned bait to combat predators such as foxes, Puma and eagles which might otherwise prey on their livestock. Although the practice is prohibited, this doesn’t stop them from lacing carcasses or pieces of meat with toxic substances such as rat poison. More recently, it has been proven that people are also using toxic agricultural pesticides such as carbofuran. Researchers confirmed that this is the substance that caused the most recent tragedy – in fact, lab results show that carbofuran is the cause of death for all of the most recent 66 condor casualties.
More:
https://www.birdguides.com/news/andean-condors-found-poisoned-in-argentina/
Environment and energy:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1127115329
