This autumn hunting season looks like it’s being exceptionally hard on protected birds, as news of illegal killings comes up on a quasi-daily basis…

Local environmental NGO BirdLife Malta took to social media to share the sad story of Isabel – an Egyptian Vulture that had been seen flying and resting around the Maltese islands.

Isabel was born in captivity last June as part of the LIFE Egyptian Vulture project led by Associazione CERM. Around two months later, on 20th August, Isabel and four other young Egyptian Vultures were released from the Parco della Murgia Materana in southern Italy.

On Tuesday, Isabel graced the Maltese islands with her presence as she stopped to rest.

“[Isabel] left southeast Sicily [Tuesday] morning and reached Gozo the same morning. Following this, the bird transmitted over Buskett in the afternoon and kept transmitting over various locations in the south of Malta,” BirdLife Malta wrote on social media.

“But then, the last signal received was late [Tuesday] evening at 19:44, when it was still visible under the Dingli Radar dome,” it continued.

In light of Isabel’s quick and unexplained disappearance, many are assuming the worst…

…and as news of unjust and illegal bird killings becomes more and more frequent, nature-lovers are turning impatient.

“I was horrified to see that there are over 32 species of birds that the government says can be shot, even seabirds. What sort of conservation law is there in Malta?,” one concerned commenter wrote.

Earlier this month, a juvenile Greater Flamingo that had been spotted enjoying the Salina Nature Reserve was shot at.

If you spot some suspicious hunting activity, make sure to inform the Environmental Protection Unit of the Malta Police Force on 119 as well as BirdLife Malta on 79255697.