Using Search Dogs to Reduce Raptor Poisoning in Hungary

Abstract

Widespread illegal poisoning was detected to cause the intoxication of 482 raptors and owls in Hungary between 2006 and 2013. Poisoning affected most seriously the local population of the globally threatened Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), of which 68 specimens were found (8.5 detected specimens/year in average). To address illegal poisoning relevant stakeholders developed two complex conservation projects with the financial support of the European Union. In the frame of the HELICON LIFE project the first poison- and carcass searching dog unit in Central Europe was established with one German shepherd dog in 2013. Thanks to the successful operation of the unit, a Belgian shepherd dog could also be trained and joined the team in the frame of the PannonEagle LIFE project in 2017. In four years the unit carried out more than 800 field surveys and detected more than 260 carcasses related to wildlife crime cases.

Keywords

• birds of prey
• imperial eagle
• aquila heliaca