a sad story about the threats to the Painted Stork 😥
Publication Date: 10 March 2022
Source: WoM
Threats to the Painted Stork: Predators always prey on storks during the breeding season when clutches are in nests and when young storks cannot protect themselves. Humans are also one of the active hunters of this bird. They often catch and sell young birds and sometimes rear them for food.
Painted Stork eggs and chicks are often illegally traded and eaten by poor local communities. On the night of 26th March 2020, 123 painted storks were poached from their nests and breeding areas at Prek Toal Ramsar site in Koh Chi Vaing Commune, Ek Phnom District, Battambang Province. When the patrolling team arrived at scene, around 12 to 13 poachers were collecting young painted storks at that time. They dropped the birds, which had been packed into 9 bags, into the water and escaped. Sadly, all of the birds died, and were cremated in front of the Prek Toal Samsar Site Center.
Many wild animals are threatened and could soon become endangered species in Cambodia due to the loss of their habitats. Painted Storks are listed as a “Near Threatened” species on the IUCN Red List and as a rare species in Cambodia and its population continues to drop as a result of loss of habitats, overhunting, and lack of food.
Protecting and conserving wetlands is vitally important in order to ensure that bird populations and their feeding and breeding grounds are safe and sustainable. In addition, more outreach is needed to convince local communities not to poach this special bird.
You can get involved either directly and indirectly to protect rare waterbirds and other endangered species by saying “No” to eating their meat, not continuing to destroy their habitats. Please share this post to help others learn about the importance of protecting the Painted Stork.
Read more:
A series of posts about one of Cambodia’s most beautiful waterbirds: The Painted Stork:
The Painted Stork chooses a mate for life:
Feeding, distribution, and lifespan of The Painted Stork:
The Sad story about the threats to the Painted Stork: