SHAUN SMILLIEshaun.smillie@inl.co.za

SHE HAS made this

transcontinental crossing

before, but this time the

fear is that she will fall victim

to a catastrophe that threatens

to destroy her species.

To a small group of bird

enthusiasts she is known sim-

ply as 95778, an Amur falcon

that has a small matchbox-

sized satellite transmitter

strapped to her back.

For nearly three years this

GPS transmitter has given

science a glimpse into the

14 500km migratory route this

pigeon-sized bird of prey

makes between South Africa

and Mongolia.

95778 is on a return trip to

South Africa, but she has

stopped over at a killing field.

Her last recorded position

has her in the remote north-

east Indian state of Nagaland.

Late last month a team of

Indian conservationists trav-

elled to the Doyang reservoir in

Nagaland and what they found

shocked them.

Tens of thousands of Amur

falcons are being caught and

sold for bush meat.

The numbers, they believe,

are large enough to affect the

survival of the species.

“What was shocking was

not the sight of dead birds, but

the scale of hunting,” says

Ramki Sreenivasan of Conser-

vation India.

The hunters, Sreenivasan

says, set fishing nets high in

the trees.

The birds are caught as they

head to roost in the evenings.

He estimates that at the height

of the migration about 15 000

birds are killed daily.

“The peak of the migration

lasts for about 10 to 15 days,”

Sreenivasan explains. It could

mean that a quarter of a mil-

lion birds are slaughtered over

this two-week period. Once the

birds are caught, he says,

hunters break the birds’ wings

and keep them alive in pens

made from mosquito netting.

The birds are sold for the

equivalent of between R2.40

and R3.75 at markets.

“The birds that arrive here

are probably tired,” says

Sreenivasan. “They get stuck

and hang until the hunter

arrives early in the morning to

disentangle them.”

Dr Craig Symes, an

ornithologist at Wits Univer-

sity, believes that such mass

killings are likely to have a

detrimental effect on Amur fal-

con populations in South

Africa. No one knows what the

global population of this bird

species is, but a count of Amur

falcon roosts in South Africa in

2009 gave a figure of 111 000

birds.

Back in 2009, German bird-

watcher Professor Dr Bernd-

Ulrich Meyburg and his wife,

Christina, travelled to Newcas-

tle, KwaZulu-Natal, and with

the help of members of

BirdLife Northern Natal

caught and attached satellite

transmitters to 10 Amur fal-

cons. Now, three years later,

only 95778’s transmitter contin-

ues to plot her journey.

Rina Pretorius of BirdLife

Northern Natal says Meyburg

told her on Monday night that

the bird had been at the Naga-

land site for the past two days.

“She told me that the bird is

at that exact same spot [where

they are killing them] and that

she expected her to move off in

the next two days.”

If 95778 makes it, she could

be back in South Africa by next

month.

“All we can do is hold

thumbs,” Pretorius says.

The killing of Amurs is

illegal in Nagaland, says

Sreenivasan.

He says India is a signatory

to the Convention on Migratory

Species which is bound to pro-

vide safe passage to any migrat-

ing animal.

Conservation India has

informed authorities of the

hunting, and the chief wildlife

warden of Nagaland has issued

instructions to seize netting

and warn offenders that they

can be arrested.

“This will be the last year

that this happens,” Sreeni-

vasan says.

“It is fixable, by hook, crook

or carriage stick.”

The Star THURSDAY NOVEMBER 8 2012 17NEWS

TRAPPED: Hunters break the Amur falcons’ wings and throw thebirds into pens made of mosquito netting, where they are kept aliveuntil they are sold.

LAWLESS: Killing these tiny birds of prey is illegal in Nagaland – butthat doesn’t stop hunters from catching the birds in fishing nets highin trees as they head to roost in the evenings. EASY PREY: Thousands of Amur falcons are caught in hunters’ nets daily during the migration period as they head across India en route to southern Africa.

FLIGHT INTOTHEKILLING FIELD

NO CHANCE: After the birds are caught, their wings are broken sothey can’t escape. They are then thrown into mosquito-net pens.

MEAGRE: A bird is sold for the equivalent of R2.40 to R3.75 at thelocal markets – not much, but a living for people who earn little else.

SLAUGHTER: At the peak of the migration, over about two weeks,almost a quarter of a million birds are killed – about 15 000 a day.

She has fought hazards around the world. Now she may be facing death

SAMANTHA HARTSHORNE

CHRISTMAS Day will mark 125

years since Glenfiddich single

malt Scotch Whisky first ran

through the copper pot stills at a

family-built distillery in

Scotland. The brew-house,

meaning Valley of the Deer, was

the dream of malt master

William Grant and his nine

children, who were all

instrumental in producing the

first glass of clear, gold spirit.

Ian Millar, global brand

ambassador for Glenfiddich

Scotch whisky since 1998 and in

the country for the annual

Whisky Live festival, says South

Africans have responded well to

Glenfiddich since it came on to

the market 15 years ago.

Peter Gordon, fifth generation

descendant of founder William

Grant is a director of the

company and attributes the

success of the Glenfiddich brand

to the founding father.

“The pioneering spirit of my

great-great-grandfather is at the

heart of everything we do at

Glenfiddich. It inspires us to

push the boundaries and create

new, innovative expressions of

the finest single malt Scotch

whisky.”

Millar agrees, saying the

Glenfiddich is unique in that it is

the only single malt Scotch

whisky still made in Scotland.

A tradition of exceptional

malt masters followed the

inspiration of Grant and further

boosted the brand. David Stewart

celebrated 45 years as

Glenfiddich malt master when he

retired in 2009 – the longest

serving master blender to

remain with any one distiller in

the industry.

The liquid gold produced on

the other side of the world in 1887

and still brewed in Dufftown, is

the perfect accompaniment to

the South African Christmas

lunch, 125 years to the day

William Grant poured the first

dram.

According to Millar, whisky is

traditionally served as a ‘dram’

which is a double tot and best

enjoyed in a tulip style glass that

has a deep belly and tapered lip

that concentrates the aroma.

The temperature at which

whisky is drunk is very

important, to release the aroma.

Millar says he warms his glass

by cupping it in his hand before

the liquid is poured.

Ice on the other hand, inhibits

the aroma.

Whisky Live is on at the

Sandton Convention centre until

Friday.

GOING STRONG: Workers in the Glenfiddich distillery.

Glenfiddich celebrates 125th anniversary