a song to commemorate painted storks killed by poaching
Publication Date: 12 March 2022
Source: WoM
The cry of the female Painted stork – a song to commemorate painted storks killed by poaching
This song was written by Mekong Conservation Hereo Chea Seila on April 8th, 2020 in the memory of a flock of painted storks that were killed by poachers in Tonle Sap on the morning of March 26th, 2020. During the incident, around 10 poachers went to illegally steal 123 painted storks from their nesting area. When rangers arrived at the incident spot, those suspects had already fled the scene and left lifeless painted stork chicks that have just stated fledging and walking in 9 sacks. Sadly, all of the birds died.
This song aims to draw everyone’s attention to feel and understand the grief of losing their loved ones. Hunting and destroying bird habitats for expanding agricultural purpose and forest fires contribute to the decline of many bird species, especially painted storks, which keep disappearing from Prek Toal Ramsar Site. Please share this post: we should do our part to protect our natural resources for the next generation to come.
The cry of the female Painted stork_Lyric
1. When the sun is rising in the early morning, I feel so refreshed but when afternoon comes my heart is burning to ash.
The sun ray is burning my heart and making me miss my husband and children because the ray also burns my family before sunset fade away.
2. Prek Toal site is my loving peaceful home. There are big trees such as Schautenia godefroyana, Nauclea officinalis, Diospyros bejaudii, and Barringtonia asiatica.
We prepared our nest to incubate our clutch so you and I could protect them, hoping they’d hatch to see the world.
3. Where are you my dear husband? Where are you my dear children? Why don’t you say anything? Why do you leave me alone?
Even though it is late afternoon now, my mind has never changed. Even when months have passed, I live accompanied by no one but my tears.
4. In each and every dawn, you would go out to catch some fish and fetch water to feed me and our chicks.
Darling, dear you keep telling me to please protect our chicks well so when they turn into adults we can go and enjoy our days together.
5. Where are you my dear husband? Where are you my dear children? Why don’t you say anything? Why do you leave me alone, my love?
Forest fires last year have destroyed our beloved nest, and this year wretched poachers took both my husband and my children’s lives.
6. I’m praying and vowing that I will meet you and spend the rest of my life with you and our chicks again.
The barn owl cries tonight but it won’t cry again tomorrow night. You told me to take a good care of myself before you were gone.
You told me to take a good care of myself before you were gone.
Before you were gone, I prayed to meet and spend the rest of my life with you in all cycles of my reincarnation.