mackem 27,367 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 Just saw this in a local paper,I am sure we all collected eggs as kids but this guy is next level,I wonder some of his adventures,wasn't that bright though wearing a bulky coat coming from SA in last summer's heat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mackem 27,367 Posted January 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 He was a busy boy,just did a search on his name. Rare falcon egg seized from smuggler hatches and is returned to wild in Chile Four albino peregrine eggs were seized from a convicted wildlife trafficker at an airport in Brazil. One survived to be returned to a nest on a Patagonian cliff face A rare falcon egg stolen from its nest in Chile to be trafficked to Dubai for tens of thousands of dollars survived and hatched a chick, but three others failed to make it. The surviving baby albino peregrine falcon, a species native to the Patagonia region at the southern tip of South America, nearly ended up being smuggled to the other side of the world in the UAE by a confessed wildlife trafficker. But an anonymous caller tipped off Chilean authorities that Jeffrey Lendrum, an Irishman previously convicted of trying to smuggle peregrine falcon eggs out of Britain, was on the continent and preparing to strike again. The Chileans alerted their Brazilian counterparts, who arrested Lendrum at São Paulo airport with an incubator containing four albino peregrine falcon eggs. Officials estimate the eggs would fetch $80,000 in total on the black market. Lendrum, who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, may have planned to incubate them until they hatched to sell the chicks to falconry enthusiasts. Peregrine falcons are the fastest bird species in the world, capable of reaching speeds of up to 385 kilometers per hour (240mph) as they plunge toward their prey. They are found throughout the world, but only Patagonia has the rare albino species, which owes its distinctive white plumage to a genetic mutation. Chile launched a tricky operation to save the four unborn chicks. “The idea was to repatriate them quickly, before they were born, to avoid the human imprint – so they wouldn’t see a human as their mother, protector or food provider,” said Rafael Asenjo of Chile’s agriculture and livestock service. In the end, only one chick survived. It was taken to a nursery for birds of prey in the capital Santiago, where it was placed in the nest of two peregrine falcons until it was old enough to survive in the wild. After about three weeks, authorities returned it to Patagonia. Two rock climbers scaled a cliff face to place the chick in an existing nest perched 30 meters (100ft) high. “The mother came back to the nest, fed the chick and covered it with her wings, which is a sign that she has accepted it in the nest,” said Asenjo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
si brown 8,486 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 do you recon he'll give it up as a bad job now!! cos hes sh1t at smugling Quote Link to post Share on other sites
steve66 3,555 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 Bet he's glad they didn't pat him down to search him Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mackem 27,367 Posted January 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 Colourfull character,must have made a few quid,been at it for years,ex Rhodesian special forces,known as the Pablo escobar of egg smuggling. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The one 8,504 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 Said he was trying to help them due to deforestation 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mackem 27,367 Posted January 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 1 minute ago, The one said: Said he was trying to help them due to deforestation Till it came out that some of the birds only nested on cliffs 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The one 8,504 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 Just now, mackem said: Till it came out that some of the birds only nested on cliffs Aye but any pish is better than no defence , you think a judge will know that ?. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mackem 27,367 Posted January 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 4 minutes ago, The one said: Aye but any pish is better than no defence , you think a judge will know that ?. No,but someone obviously did. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
steve66 3,555 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 where would the money be in smuggling eggs , hatching birds or collecting eggs ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
riohog 5,729 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 big money for the right egg ,bird in the middle east 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
j j m 6,555 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 bird of prey eggs always bring good money,the cliffs are always getting raided for falcons eggs 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brambles 3,291 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 Tell me about it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stumfelter 3,034 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 Perhaps he wanted the money to buy one of them hot tubs for his Mrs...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brambles 3,291 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 5 hours ago, steve66 said: where would the money be in smuggling eggs , hatching birds or collecting eggs ? Scottish Peregrines were very highly sought after in certain parts of the world ? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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