Rescued from smugglers, rare Russian birds freed

[jpak]

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL1224550820071113

KAZACHII, Russia (Reuters) - A bird of prey with coal-black eyes hangs briefly in the air then flaps it wings and soars into the Siberian sky as a cluster of conservationists on the ground breathe a collective sigh of relief.

A few weeks ago, this saker falcon -- one of an endangered species -- was being smuggled out of Russia. Stuffed inside a tiny bag with its wings bound, it was heading for the Middle East where it could have been sold for thousands of dollars.

But this bird, along with 17 others of the same species, was intercepted by Russian customs officers. All were released back into the wild in the Altai region of southern Siberia on Monday.

"All of these birds have had a tough time," said Sergei Ganusevich, director of the Moscow Centre for the Protection of Wild Animals, who flew to the Altai region to watch the falcons go free.

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[XemaSab]

1. Interesting that Russian customs officers care

:P

[BrklynLiberal]

2. That is great news. Nice to know th at there are some out there who care about the creatures with

whom we share the planet.

[dbackjon]

3. The Middle East /China

Are wiping out species greater than any other region. Our Oil and Wal-mart dollars at work.