Zypern – 14. 09. 2021

Illegal shooting in Meneou, Cyprus continues

Protected birds shot daily at the notorious “Bee-eater cemetery”

Cyprus. On the afternoon of 12.09.21 a team from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) observed and documented a hunter shooting at protected bee-eaters. 

The hunter fled when he noticed that he was seen, but our team collected the evidence and reported him to the police and game wardens.

Further investigations have shown that this is not an isolated incident. CABS' wildlife crime officer Bostjan Debersek said “We have been observing this site and the killing of protected bee-eaters is happening on a daily basis by numerous hunters, who seem to be coming specifically to target these protected birds and leave the site as soon as our teams’ approach”.

The previous day a CABS team found an injured bee-eater that had been shot and left on the ground. Bleeding heavily and with a broken wing, it was immediately taken to the veterinary but later died. 

The events happened in the notorious site for illegal hunting of Meneou where last autumn a CABS team witnessed and reported a daily massacre of bee-eaters, swallows and other protected birds including nocturnal species such as owls and stone curlew – indicating the hunters are even active at dusk. The site had been reported for mass illegalities and failing to meet minimum distance requirements from surrounding residential areas. 

“After the decision to keep the site open to hunting and promises of serious checks by Game and Fauna Service, we predicted another massacre this year. Unfortunately, our observations so far have proven this to be the case and with continued ineffective enforcement, we expect many more protected birds to be killed.” said CABS Press Officer Axel Hirschfeld. 

CABS ask for a review of hunting on this site and for more effective enforcement from the authorities to effectively monitor and prosecute hunters shooting at protected birds. 

CABS teams will be on the site regularly to prevent and report all further incidents of illegal shooting.

— ENDS —  

Contact for more information: CABS Investigations Officer Andrea Rutigliano, +39 346 9484460 or Email to CABS@komitee.de