Raptor with University of Helsinki band caught in Nigerian village
By
Ibrahim Khalil
–
November 1, 2018
Mallam Zubairu poses with the raptor on Thursday September 1, 2018.
Locals at Arki village of Mallam Madori Local Government Area of Jigawa State, Northwest Nigeria, have caught a raptor with a band reading University of Helsinki, Finland.
The bird of prey, which appears to be a sea hawk in a single photo sent to DAILY NIGERIAN, was ensnared by local hunters on Monday.
“When we caught the bird, our plan was to slaughter it. But upon seeing the band on the bird’s foot, some community leaders pleaded with us to spare it,” said a local hunter, Mallam Zubairu.
Magaji Mallam-Madori, who was among those who pleaded with Mr Zubairu to release the bird, said the name of University of Helsinki was written on the band.
According to him, the bird would be freed on Thursday (today) at Baturiya Game Reserve in Kirikasamma Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
From Finland, where it was banded, the bird would have flown for over 7000km to reach where it was captured in Malam Madori, northwestern Nigeria.
Thousands of birds, all over the world, embark on seasonal migration, to pass winter on continents other than their own.
Species from Finland fall in the biogeographic realm of the world known as Palearctic, who migrate to their wintering grounds in parts of Africa before returning to their breeding grounds in Europe and Asia in spring.
