Rare Sulawesi hawk being killed as pest<\/p>\n
Bambang M., Lorelindu National Park, Central Sulawesi<\/p>\n
Misperception is threatening the majestic Sulawesi Hawk-eagle
\n(Spizaetus lanceolatus), one of Sulawesi's endemic birds.<\/p>\n
Considered pests that prey on pets and livestock, the eagles
\nhave been hunted down by residents. Local environmentalists have
\nsounded the alarm that it may well be the beginning of an end for
\nthe species.<\/p>\n
The eagles' biggest enemy are farmers who live around the Lore
\nLindu National Park and who kill the eagles for preying on their
\nchickens.<\/p>\n
There are about 60 villages which have sprung up over the past
\nseveral years around the 218,000-hectare park.<\/p>\n
The Sulawesi Hawk-eagle is just one of 23 different species of
\nbirds of prey in Sulawesi. Lore Lindu is their main habitat.
\nUnlike its "relative", the Javan Hawk-eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi),
\nof which there are only 300 left in the wild, the Sulawesi Hawk-
\neagle is quite large, although the exact number is not known.<\/p>\n
The legally protected Javan Hawk-eagle is endangered because
\nthey are poached and sold as pets.<\/p>\n
The Sulawesi Hawk-eagle is still easily spotted in Lore Lindu,
\nwith the peculiar whistle sound it makes while flying.<\/p>\n
"In certain places you can encounter a flock of up to seven
\nbirds," said Yulinda Asnita, a student of biology from
\nUniversitas Negeri Jakarta who researched the species for several
\nmonths in 2001.<\/p>\n
The population of the Sulawesi Hawk-eagle remains large
\nbecause its habitat is still relatively intact and it has not
\ncaught on as a pet.<\/p>\n
The easiest way to watch this bird is to stand in open area
\nlike a rice field at the border of the park. Early in the
\nmorning, Sulawesi Hawk-eagles can be seen playfully soaring high
\nin the sky.<\/p>\n
"They do it for some purpose, like chasing its prey on the
\nground, attracting a female, teaching their children or marking
\ntheir territory," said Yulinda, whose research was supported by
\nthe Nature Conservancy's Lore Lindu field office.<\/p>\n
The Sulawesi Hawk-eagle is a beautiful bird. An adult of the
\nspecies is about 58.40 centimeters long from beak to tail, and
\nhas a wing span of 45 cm. It has a black beak and yellow eyes.
\nIt has black spots on its face and breast, and its stomach has
\nblack-and-white lines.<\/p>\n
Although there are still many Sulawesi Hawk-eagles, the
\npopulation is decreasing fast. In a survey conducted by Yuli,
\nabout 78 percent of respondents said the number of Sulawesi Hawk-
\neagles had declined over the past five years.<\/p>\n
There are two main reasons why the population has fallen.
\nFirst, farmers encroaching on their habitat, and second, more of
\nthe birds have been killed because they are seen as pests.<\/p>\n
During her survey, Yuli said she saw hawk-eagle traps near
\nseveral houses belonging to farmers.<\/p>\n
"I lost 10 chickens -- all eaten by hawk-eagles," said Pak
\nTowahid, a park ranger and also a farmer who lives in Kulawi,
\nabout 70 kilometers south of Palu.<\/p>\n
According to Yuli, like other eagles, the Sulawesi species has
\nsharp claws to kill its prey.<\/p>\n
"Not all of the body of the prey is eaten by the eagle. First,
\nthe bird eats its brain and liver and finally the meat. And it
\ndoes not touch the rest," said Pak Towahid.<\/p>\n
Local environmentalist warn that the poaching of the hawk-
\neagle will eventually lead to the extinction of the species. Many
\nof the birds have been killed for the same reasons people killed
\nthe rare Sumatra elephant (Elephas maximus).<\/p>\n
The elephants were hunted down because they encroached on
\nplantations, which used to be their natural habitat.<\/p>\n
It is also feared that the dwindling Sulawesi hawk-eagle
\npopulation will disturb the natural balance, with its natural
\nprey, such as rats and snakes, growing unchecked.<\/p>\n
The lost of the hawk-eagle would also spark an international
\noutcry, because Lore Lindu is known internationally as a center
\nfor the protection of birds. There are about 224 bird species
\nliving in the forest, 83 percent of them endemic to Sulawesi.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rare-sulawesi-hawk-being-killed-as-pest-1447893297",
"image": ""
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