Griffon vulture dead from poisoning: 'Thought honestly, that we were over that'

Dead raven due to poisoning: 'Thought we were past this'

Dansk Ornitologisk Forening suspects it was intentional.

The young poisoned raven. (Photo: © Marianne Krag Petersen/DOF BirdLife)

By August Olaf Jersild ([email protected]) 58 min. ago

It was a grim news that recently hit the desk of the chairman of Dansk Ornitologisk Forenings board.

An autopsy of a raven revealed that the bird was poisoned after eating some meat containing the insecticide carbofuran.

A toxic substance that has not been legally allowed to use or possess in the EU since 2008.

And it raises eyebrows at Egon Østergaard, the chairman of Dansk Ornitologisk Forening (DOF).

- I am terribly upset that we have to talk about this again. I thought we were past it. We have experienced that there have not been any poison cases in 2024, and I hoped we wouldn't have to experience it in 2025.

- But it wasn't supposed to be like that, he says.

The raven was found on March 31st on a cornfield near Rudkøbing on Langeland, but was only recently autopsied at Statens Serum Institut, where the cause of death was determined. Here they found fresh meat pieces in the digestive tract of the raven.

It is unknown if the poison was laid out with the intention to kill the raven or other animals. It is up to the police to investigate, as Dansk Ornitologisk Forening has reported the incident to Fyns Police.

However, the forensic suspects that the use of carbofuran was intentional.

- There is obviously someone who thinks they can use this extremely dangerous poison to kill someone they don't care about.

- Whether it's ravens, mammals or something else, it's hard to say, says Egon Østergaard.

Could it have been just a coincidence?

- One never knows what people have on their shelves. But it is illegal to possess, and it is illegal to use. It has been for 17 years.

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Do the responsible parties go free

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The young raven, which was found in perfect feathered condition and in good physical condition, is not the first bird of prey that has had to succumb to poison.

According to Dansk Ornitologisk Forening, there have been 33 cases in the period 2010-2020 where carbofuran has been detected and required deaths.

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> I don't have high expectations and not at all in such an old case

> Egon Østergaard, chairman of Dansk Ornitologisk Forening

Carbofuran is extremely toxic to ingest. It blocks the nervous system, paralyzes breathing, and the birds that die from carbofuran die of asphyxiation.

However, death can take several hours to occur. Therefore, it is not possible to say if the raven ate the poisoned meat in the vicinity where it was found.

Egon Østergaard hopes that the police can find the responsible parties - but he has his doubts.

- I don't have high expectations and not at all in such an old case.

- But I have of course expectations that with the new police agreement (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/ny-aftale-skal-give-den-stoerste-politistyrke-i-danmarkshistorien) in much higher degree can find the guilty in such cases like this.

In the new police agreement, which a majority of parties at Christiansborg stand behind, it is part of the agreement to establish a new unit in the police that will investigate nature and environmental crimes. (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/ny-politienhed-skal-opklare-forbrydelser-mod-natur-og-miljoe)

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