In June 2018, in Victoria, Australia, animal protection groups found 136 dead wedge-tailed hawks.
The bird carcasses were found near a farmstead, along with four other protected animals, including two crows, one kookaburra, and one other species of raptor, in addition to the wedge-tailed eagle.
Given the number and scale of animal deaths, a preliminary investigation concluded that it was a clear intentional killing and defined the incident as the worst illegal bird hunting ever recorded in the state. attached great importance to it and immediately filed a case for investigation.
At that time, the scope of the investigation was very wide, and dozens of staff members were involved in a statewide investigation, trying all means to bring the criminals to justice.
However, after 3 months of busy work, the murderer was not caught at all, except for the discovery of more wedge-tailed eagle corpses.
In September 2018, a 59-year-old farm worker voluntarily turned himself in.
He confessed to poisoning birds in eastern Gippsland between October 2016 and April 2018.
In his words, he was instigated by the farmer (employer) to inject a poisonous substance into the necks of the dead lambs, who had eaten the flesh of the poisonous lambs before they died. More than 1 act of poisoning.
And the reason why he blew himself up was because he had a dispute with his employer, he was fired, and he turned himself in to vent his anger.
According to his confession, combined with real investigations, the results showed that the number of wedge-tailed eagles killed was as high as 406, 366 in 2017 and 40 in 2018.
The wedge-tailed eagle, also known as the wedge-tailed eagle, is Australia's largest bird of prey, and is a key local protection object under strict protection under the Wildlife Law.
According to the rules, people who intentionally kill these birds can be fined up to $8,000 and imprisoned for up to six months. An additional fine of $800 will be imposed for each bird killed.
Under this rule, the man killed 406 wedge-tailed eagles and was subject to a fine of up to $332,800, with additional jail terms.
But as a result, the man was sentenced to only 14 days in prison and fined US$2,500 (about A$3,800).
The instigator, his employer, is only required to undergo 12 months of community corrections and 100 hours of unpaid community work.
The man also became the first person in Australia to be prosecuted for injuring a wedge-tailed eagle.
In response to this result, animal protection groups said that the penalty was too light.
Maybe it's because of the lack of experience, and in the subsequent punishment, the intensity is much greater.
In 2021, individuals found to have intentionally misused pesticides were reportedly fined up to $60,000, while companies could be fined up to $120,000, with serious jail sentences.
Although the punishment is getting higher and higher, similar poisoning incidents have not decreased because of this, but have become more and more!
Why do these people risk such a big punishment and kill these birds too?
The answer is his own property, the lamb on the farm.
Latest research: Wedge-tailed hawks like to eat lambs is a misconception
Farmers have long regarded wedge-tailed eagles as the biggest threat to their farms, especially at a time when the value of wool and lambs is rising, and they believe that:
"If I don't kill it, it will kill my lamb and eat it!"
Over time, the farmers' hatred for the wedge-tailed eagle has been buried in their hearts, and the perception that "the wedge-tailed eagle likes to eat lambs" is also deep-rooted.
But in fact, after a long period of research, scientists have found that wedge-tailed eagles like to eat lambs, which is definitely a misunderstanding.
In one experiment, scientists equipped wedge-tailed eagles with solar-powered satellite tracking devices to track their location and find out what they ate.
The results showed that the actual predation rate of lambs by wedge-tailed hawks was very low, with less than 1% of lamb deaths caused by wedge-tailed hawks. In its diet, the most predated ones are rabbits, which can reach more than 70%, and the extreme is up to 92%, followed by carrion (animal carcasses).
So why do people always misunderstand wedge-tailed hawks?
Maybe it's that the wedge-tailed eagle always gives people the impression of being cruel and ferocious.
First, the wedge-tailed eagle has the ability to prey on lambs;
It is the largest bird of prey in Australia, with a wingspan of 2.32 metres and a weight of up to 5.8 kilograms.
At the same time, it is equipped with a beak and claws characteristic of birds of prey, which are hard and sharp, and can penetrate the bone with a single claw.
This physical fitness can completely prey on slightly larger mammals, adult animals will have more difficulty preying, but preying on things like lambs, wallabies, kittens, puppies and hares, there is no pressure at all.
secondly, it is an opportunistic predator, eating carrion, but also its own kind;
As birds of prey, wedge-tailed hawks are opportunists and, in the absence of living creatures, also eat carrion.
Wedge-tailed hawks are often seen on the road eating kangaroos that have been hit by cars and sometimes the carcasses of other birds.
It is usually shared with other crows, giving a greedy and bloody image!
On top of that, the wedge-tailed hawk is really good at eating lambs;
Farmer Ian Van der Brook once saw his two lambs killed by a wedge-tailed eagle in just 15 minutes.
Another farmer said he saw a wedge-tailed eagle land on a lamb and peck at the lamb's head with his sharp beak and claws.
But scientists say that wedge-tailed hawks generally eat sick or congenitally defective lambs, and it is relatively rare to attack healthy live lambs.
Sometimes the ewe itself is weaker and the lambs she gives birth to are not very healthy, and the lambs like this will be chosen by the wedge-tailed eagle as a prey object, and the animal will always catch the breath of death at the first time.
In fact, some lambs are born without life, but the farmer blames the wedge-tailed eagle for the lamb's death, and the hatred deepens.
At last
Overall, wedge-tailed hawks are not as fond of eating lambs as one might think, and they eat rabbits more often.
In fact, it is easy to understand that the rabbits on Australian soil have been flooded.
For wedge-tailed eagles, it is an unlimited buffet, and the size of the rabbit is also suitable for the wedge-tailed eagle, so it is reasonable to give preference to rabbits.
Even if there are no rabbits to eat, they will choose carrion.
If these two conditions are not met, they will choose to prey on other animals, including newborn lambs, who are dead or weak at birth.
Due to the influence of various factors, the number of wedge-tailed eagles in Australia is getting smaller and smaller, so Australia has been promoting and educating the public, hoping to "live happily" with wedge-tailed eagles!