Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 5.17
The only living griffon vulture found during the poisoning incident with carbofuran on
the Island of Rab in very bad state. This bird died two days later
Photo taken by Damian Nenadic
recovered from the area. GC/MS analyses of the crop and stomach tissues from all the vultures
showed that the poison involved was carbofuran.
This was also the fi rst case of wildlife poisoning proven in a forensic laboratory in Croatia. The
fi rst set of birds was tested in a private forensic laboratory, and subsequent birds were tested at
the Centre for Forensic Research ('Ivan Vucetic'). The police immediately formed a team of eight
experienced criminologists, and within two weeks they located an individual whom they suspected
had baited poison onto the dead sheep. In the individual's house, the police found the same pesticide
(i.e., carbofuran) as used on the bait. The suspect had a range of pesticides in his house. However,
he was not an agriculturalist (i.e., he did not tend any crops) and so he did not have any legal need
for them. The police also found carbofuran in houses owned by fi ve more sheep herders in the same
area. The State attorney decided to investigate the incident in detail and collected more evidence
against the culprit for the court.
In Croatia, a 'price-list' for protected species exists by law. The 'fee' (fi ne) for killing a griffon is
40 000 kuna (Hrk), which is around 5 500 EUR or 7 300 USD. Therefore, damages were estimated
at 17 griffons x 5500 EUR = 93 500 EUR. Further damages for the crime against nature were added.
The total damage was then estimated at one million Hrk (around 133 000 EUR or 175 000 USD).
On 27 November 2010, the main suspect was given a 660 000 Hrk (90 400 EUR or 120 000 USD)
penalty. The court then acquitted him. If found guilty the suspect could have spent up to ten years in
prison. However, in this instance, he was released without charge. The Judge stated that he could not
be sentenced based on circumstantial evidence. The poison (i.e., carbofuran) was in the house, it was
the same formulation as detected on the dead laced sheep (which was his), and the carbofuran found
in the GI tract of the dead birds was also the same. But, a conclusive link to prove the individual
put the carbofuran on that sheep did not exist. Hence, the police had circumstantial evidence and
suspicion but could not convincingly 'prove' a fi rm forensic case.
In 2004, the Vulture Recovery Centre (on the Island of Cres) sent another griffon vulture
with neurological symptoms to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Zagreb.
There, they detected methomyl, which is also a carbamate. This case is discussed in Sabocanec,
Konjevic, Srebocan et al. (2005). Thus, as well as carbofuran, people in Croatia are clearly using other
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