Italy's rare birds fall to hunters

ROME, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- The shooting of a golden eagle in northern Italy shows the need for greater protection for rare birds, ornithology groups say.

The bird shot in Val Biondino near Lake Como may have been the last male in the valley, The Independent reported. Its carcass was found near that of a sheep, believed to have been used to attract the bird.

"Despite the work of the national parks in protecting endangered species, we still witness acts like this of gratuitous brutality and culpable ignorance, which wreak serious damage on the environment," said Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, a Green Party member and minister of the environment. "This latest example of poaching shows there is still a lot to be done in Italy with regard to protecting and respecting animals, particularly those which are increasingly rare."

The number of hunters has dropped in Italy from 2 million 20 years ago to 750,000. But the number of rare birds, including golden eagles, greater flamingos and black storks has been dropping at least as fast.

Poachers also trap small birds, selling them to restaurants, bird fanciers and also to hunters who use them to lure large birds.