Since then, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute has received carcasses from taxidermists to perform autopsies that can confirm or refute the cause of death reported by the sender. The purpose of these investigations is to uncover potential wildlife crime and at the same time get an overview of the most common causes of death for tagged birds of prey.
Background
The project is a collaboration between the Norwegian Environment Agency, taxidermists, and the Norwegian Veterinary Institute. Each year, grants are applied for wildlife measures through the Norwegian Environment Agency's application center to carry out relevant investigations. This involves annual reporting of findings with statistical development based on the number of submitted carcasses from species subject to marking requirements. The species subject to marking requirements are defined in the Wildlife Regulations and for birds of prey and owls, this includes species such as the golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, Eurasian eagle-owl, among others.
Purpose
Through radiological examinations and autopsies, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute can uncover whether illegal hunting or damage caused by human factors has occurred. It is up to the Norwegian Environment Agency to decide whether the information provided in the report should be followed up, but the data produced in connection with the investigations will be of great value for any human activity around nesting and hunting areas for birds of prey.
Results
A consistent trend since the project's kick-off in 2003 is a downward curve in the number of submitted carcasses. The reason may be that fewer dead birds are observed in nature or that requests for stuffed animals have decreased. Trauma is the main cause of death in the species, followed by or in combination with emaciation. In addition to performing autopsies, liver and kidney material is stored in the Veterinary Institute's organ bank. The sample material can then be used to investigate any rodenticides circulating in nature (see GreenBait).
Partners
- Norwegian Environment Agency
- The Norwegian Taxidermist Association