(c) RAF

A newly established Centre in Albania saves poisoned wildlife through capacity building and by training the future generation of wildlife experts to continue its mission. Tackling illegal wildlife poisoning in the Balkans

Poisoned Sparrowhawks (c) RAF

Illegal wildlife poisoning is a silent threat that poses a real danger to nature, animals and public health. An ambitious cross-border initiative in the Balkans is bringing together wildlife conservation organisations, governmental agencies and other stakeholders from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, North Macedonia and Serbia to fight this severe threat. The Balkan Anti Poisoning Project (BAPP), led by the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) and funded by the MAVA Foundation, increases the capacity in these regions to counteract wildlife poisoning through efficient collaboration and coordination to protect vultures and other wildlife. The BAPP supports different initiatives in Albania, including the Albania Anti poisoning Centre led by the Royal Albania Foundation (RAF), which develops essential capacities for veterinary care and conduction of forensic necropsy of suspected poisoned animals. Albania Anti-poisoning Centre The Albania Anti-poisoning Centre was initiated as part of the Balkan Anti-Poisoning Project with the funding of the VCF’s Small Grants Programme. The RAF have devoted their project towards capacity building for successful conduction of forensic necropsies, a key step in anti-poisoning work, and recovery of poisoned and wounded wild animals. An anti-poison centre for wildlife was adjusted and completed with the cooperation from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural University of Tirana. The Centre is equipped with main devices for the well-functioning of an anti-poisoning centre, with half of the devices offered by the faculty clinic and the other half provided by RAF from their BAPP Small Grant. With the support of VCF, the Centre was provided with 40 ketoprofen antidotes that helped rescue 10 poisoning cases of birds. The treated species were: 4 Western Marsh-harriers, 3 Sparrowhawks and 3 Eurasian Scops owls. From October 2019 to now, the Centre has treated over 7 wild birds with fractures and 13 cases of poisoning (Western Marsh-harriers, Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Scops owls, Merlin). Furthermore, poison cases with wild mammals (3 red foxes, 2 wolves and 3 western polcats) have also been registered after the construction of this modest Centre. The toxicological analysis conducted for 2 dead wolves and one red fox concluded that the animals were poisoned with rodenticides.

Wildlife poisoning training at the Albania Anti-poisoning Centre (c) Royal Albania Foundation