Three poisoned kites found in hunting grounds in Mallorca

PalmThe Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment has detected three cases of kite poisoning in two hunting reserves in Mallorca (Palma and Santanyí), leading to the opening of two disciplinary proceedings, which have been forwarded to the Public Prosecutor's Office with a request to open a criminal investigation.

According to a statement from the Regional Ministry, the files include information obtained by the Environment and Seprona (National Securities and Exchange Commission), veterinary reports, and toxicological analyses, along with the identification of the alleged perpetrators.

The Director General of the Natural Environment and Forest Management, Ana Torres, points out that the use of poison is "totally prohibited and constitutes a serious crime under the Penal Code." Specifically, it represents a crime against natural resources and the environment, which carries penalties for those who use toxins to kill protected species. The consequences can range from a two-year prison sentence to a fine of up to 200,000 euros.

Torres emphasized that poisoning "in addition to constituting a crime" poses a "direct risk to public health, as the poison can be accidentally ingested by other animals" such as livestock and people. The poisoned specimens were found thanks to their GPS tracking, as they were part of the Recovery, Conservation, and Monitoring Plan for Diurnal Birds of Prey in the Balearic Islands. The first, which was found dead in February in Santanyí, had a transmitter, an official ring, and remote-readable wing tags. The Government agents followed protocol, ensuring the chain of custody of the samples, which were transferred to the Consortium for the Recovery of Fauna of the Balearic Islands (Cofib), where the inspection was carried out.

Subsequently, an inspection was carried out at the reserve, where another dead specimen was found with symptoms of poisoning. The samples analyzed confirmed the use of poison. The third case occurred in March, in Palma. The kite is a species included in the List of Wild Species under Special Protection (Royal Decree 139/2011). It is a scavenger bird of prey that contributes to maintaining the population balance of other species.