Toxicology analysis has confirmed that hundreds of Blue Cranes in the Northern Cape had been poisoned with a substance known as Diazinon.
The Griffon Poison Information Centre says stomach sample from one of the more than 200 Blue Cranes found dead in 2012 had revealed a very high concentration of Diazinon.
Diazinon is a well-known livestock remedy and also widely used a remedy for blowfly for wool producing sheep in the Karoo.
The Centre's Director, Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, says the findings prove that the country's national bird had been deliberately poisoned.
He says they're now calling for a full investigation by the police and the Department of Environmental Affairs in the Northern Cape.
Verdoorn said Northern Cape police and government officials have also collected samples for analysis and are conducting further investigations.
"It is inconceivable that any individual should be allowed to deliberately poison Blue Cranes that are classified as vulnerable under the IUCN Red List Categories with a population of around 25,500 individuals that are threatened by direct poisoning, powerline collisions, habitat loss and illegal trade," said Verdoorn.
Verdoorn said "it is the duty of the state to execute its constitutional obligation to bring wildlife crimes such as these to justice - the public have no mandate to enforce legislation but we are most willing to assist in way we can to bring an end to the scourge of deliberate wildlife poisoning."
He saiid they are also urging the Minister of Agriculture "to respond to a request levelled at him in the last quarter of 2014 to amend Act No. 36 of 1947 so that it can meet the demands of modern society. We can no longer live with legislation that imposes penalties of R1,000 for transgressions with pesticides that threaten our indigenous wildlife."
"The Nama Karoo Foundation and the Griffon Poison Information Centre lastly issues a warning to anyone in the Karoo that misuses pesticides that we will pursue such individuals relentlessly irrespective of the costs. Poisoning is rapidly decimating the sterling conservation efforts of those who hold the Nama Karoo and its wildlife close to their hearts as one of the last frontiers of South Africa," Verdoorn said.
He said a farmer believed to be behind the poisoning in Richmond in the Northern Cape could face a fine totalling millions of Rands or even up to ten years in prison.
(Pic) Landmark Leopard and Predator Project
