L'emissor via satèlit feia dies que emitia des d'un mateix punt i això va fer sorpitar als científics que feien el seguiment.
Finalment van trobar a Piros (tot i el nom era una femella) moribunda prop de Cap Blanc, a Mauritania, prop de la darrera gran colònia de vell marí de la Mediterrània.
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Dear Colleagues
Unfortunately, I have a sad news for you.
A few days ago - following of my request - an international team of
biologists working with monk seals in Mauritania found the body of
Piros on a peninsula on the northern part of the country (see 20.77100
-17.04467). When first seen, Piros seemed exhausted but the colleagues
could not help her. She spent 8 days in the area before her signals
disappeared. There is no explanation for her death since apparently
there is plenty of food around: shorebirds, gulls and probably
passerine migrants too. Nevertheless, the possibility of getting too
tired after crossing the desert and not being able to hunt is not
excluded. Further possibilities are: secondary poisoning (a large
number of ships have been dismantled and sank in the area), some kind
of disease or some unknown factor. It is a strange co-incidence,
however that in 1979 a dead Saker was found by French ornithologists
in Star Bay - just a few km north of the place where Piros has been
found. This fact raises the question whether this phenomenon occurs
from year to year, and this place is really a some kind of trap for
Sakers; or it is really just a co-incidence and these two birds were
found there co-incidently. This story shows again how little we know
about our ecosystem and its 'elements'.
biologists working with monk seals in Mauritania found the body of
Piros on a peninsula on the northern part of the country (see 20.77100
-17.04467). When first seen, Piros seemed exhausted but the colleagues
could not help her. She spent 8 days in the area before her signals
disappeared. There is no explanation for her death since apparently
there is plenty of food around: shorebirds, gulls and probably
passerine migrants too. Nevertheless, the possibility of getting too
tired after crossing the desert and not being able to hunt is not
excluded. Further possibilities are: secondary poisoning (a large
number of ships have been dismantled and sank in the area), some kind
of disease or some unknown factor. It is a strange co-incidence,
however that in 1979 a dead Saker was found by French ornithologists
in Star Bay - just a few km north of the place where Piros has been
found. This fact raises the question whether this phenomenon occurs
from year to year, and this place is really a some kind of trap for
Sakers; or it is really just a co-incidence and these two birds were
found there co-incidently. This story shows again how little we know
about our ecosystem and its 'elements'.
Certainly, it would be worth looking around there, however I can't see
at the moment how we could get there in the close future.
at the moment how we could get there in the close future.
The transmitter will be returned to us across Madrid with the help of
a Spanish member of the team (to whom goes a great thanks).
a Spanish member of the team (to whom goes a great thanks).
Unfortunately, it seems that this is the end of the great story of Piros.
Thank you again for your invaluable help and I will inform you if
there is any developments.
there is any developments.
All the best
Matyas
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