LifeTrack of White Stork ,tag 3082 (ring HL392), Ciconia ciconia2013 to 2014
Sex: Born: approx. 19th of June 2013Nest location: Dromling, Wernitz / Germany Tagging Date: 16th July 2013Ring no.: HL392Mother: Siblings: 3Died in: SudanDate of death: approx. beginning of October 2013Cause of death: huntedSponsors: MPIO and HUJ/DIP, Storchenhof Lohburg
Special info: Used for Annotation with DLR for Urbanization
CORRESPONDENCE
Subject: A request to find a dead white stork with a GPS transmitter in Sudan
Dear XXXWe are asking for a collaboration to find a dead white stork with a transmitter in SudanWe got your email from XXX (Optional line)As part of a study on survival and migration of young white storks (Ciconia ciconia), juveniles were fitted with advanced GPS transmitters last summer in Germany. One of them died in Sudan in and it is now in a small village 50km west of the city of Kosti. We have the exact location of this stork, which is sent to us continuously from the transmitter. We are interested in a collaboration to find the stork and the transmitter in order to estimate the cause of death and to re-use the transmitter. We will be happy to share the information about this stork which was wintering in Sudan and to launch future cooperation in our study. Of course we are willing to pay for the time and travel costs. We ask for your cooperation on this or for a recommendation of someone else who can help.
SincerelyXXX
CORRESPONDENCE
18.October 2013
Dear Ibrahim, I appreciate your answer and understand that the situation in South Sudan must be difficult. Could I ask you for help in Sudan ? Here are the details: One of them died in Sudan in and it is now in a small village 50km west of the city of Kosti. We have the exact location of this stork, which is sent to us continuously from the transmitter. We are interested in a collaboration to find the stork and the transmitter in order to estimate the cause of death and to re-use the transmitter. We will be happy to share the information about this stork which was wintering in Sudan and to launch future cooperation in our study. It would be wonderful if you could help or if you could suggest someone that could. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Kind regards,Brigitta
CORRESPONDENCE
18.October 2013, 18:40 hrs
Dear Brigitta,
You are losing many transmitters possibly due to the shooting of the white storks . I am willing to help. I will survey that location with my team. Last time we were very lucky because the hunter threw away the transmitter right in the place where he short the bird. We should not expect things to work all the time. If the transmitter is collected by a hunter, he may not respond if he is skeptical about us, or he may bargain. Therefore, it's likely that one trip or two will cost some money without getting the transmitter. Bearing all this in mind please send the location of the stork as soon as possible. Regards, IbrahimHashim
CORRESPONDENCE
21.October 2013 Message from Shay Rotics/Hebrew University of Jerusalem:
Dear BrigittaThe coordinates have not changed, last update is from 11-Oct-2013, position: 13.23656 / 32.2152 (lat/lon).You can tell him that:1) very high chances that the tag is there, lot of fixed positions from this location and the last one is not far ago.2) from examining the "google maps" and from the battery patterns we are 95% sure that the tag is being hold by people and it is indoors or in shade so: a) it will not be so difficult to find it, b) they might demand money and in this respect please explain him our policy and great concern of encouraging hunting if the locals will be rewarded for tags. We prefer not to pay locals but if needed willing to pay only symbolic rate (he can help in advising how much). Please emphasize they we don't want to break this rule and willing to pay traveling even if because of this matter he cannot get the tag back from the locals.3) This location is much less remote then the previous one, it is in a village not far from main roads, ca 350km from the capital, so in this case we hope he can get there by much lower amount of money (about 300$ or less).Good luckShay
CORRESPONDENCE
Message 23.October 2013Dear Brigitta,We will move tomorrow afternoon. there are good news and bad news. The good news is that I am quite familiar with the area of the dead stork. After checking in Google maps, I found out that the stork lies only about two km or so from the location where we reported Sociable lapwing. By the way, we are conducting a sociable lapwing survey in collaboration with the ROPB since 2008, in addition to water bird counts with The French Wildlife Agency ONCF. In that capacity I visited the area twice last year. villagers know us very well and call us the bird people. This can support our mission, in one hand.On the other hand, there are also some bad news. If you look at the map, the area is always flooded during the rainy season from what is called khor Abu Hael which descents from Nuba Moyntains and ends in numerous wetlands where it joints the While Nile. The survey of that area is always possible after February. Let us hope for the best. With the help of the local people, we may find ways to get there! Regards IbrahimHashim
Correspondence
Report written by a collaborator who looked for the transmitter in Sudan but did not find it: (see photos)
Report about a dead white stork 3082/ H 392 in Sudan.A survey to locate a dead white stork (lat 13.23656; long 32.2152) in the White Nile State which began on 11 October 2013, took four days. Some difficulties were encountered because it was just the end of the rainy season. Based on familiarity with the area and the local community, it was not difficult to avoid flooded areas. It’s worth mentioning that we counted water birds extensively in the area last year in collaboration with the French Agency of Wildlife (ONCFS).The habitat in this part of the White Nile State comprises extensive, ephemeral wetlands originating from Khor Abu Habel, a White Nile tributary that descends from Nuba Mountains. Before joining the White Nile, Khor Abu Habel spreads into a system of numerous wetlands that support various species of water birds and livestock as well. Lands surrounding wetlands are normally rangelands or cultivated lands. When they retreat rapidly towards the end of the rainy season, many of the wetlands are cultivated.It took some time to exactly locate the coordinates. The coordinates were almost in the center of the village where there were scattered white storks’ feathers. The villagers were asked if they east wild birds. They said they eat ducks and white stork. They were very astonished when asked if they found a device attached to one of the storks. Their response was that I should see the school teacher.The school teacher appeared to be a political authority in the village. We went straight to him, chatted, and had breakfast and tea with him. After all he asked what we were doing in the village. I told him the story. His response was quick “the device was taken by the government”. Then he explained: “One villager shot the bird and asked his son to remove the feathers. Finding the device, the boy took the bird to his father who removed the device and brought it to me. I kept the device and contacted the security at Kosti, the largest city in the White Nile State. When a security officer arrived on 11 October 2013, we fixed the device on chicken and it started to work. The officer took the device with him to Kosti for criminal investigation. Next day a Toyota truck full of armed security forces came to the village and checked whether the villagers were safe from the device.” Gradually, the villagers gathered in the teacher‘s house. We explained to them why the device is fixed on the white stork. The teacher took my phone number, called the security officer and told him that ‘some people are in the village, looking for the device”. The security officer first inquired whether the people were Sudanese or foreigners and then strictly added that the device is under “criminal investigation, it cannot be given back”
CORRESPONDENCE
On 30 October 2013, the teacher called me and told me that the security of Kosti wrote a report and sent the device to Khartoum (The Capital) for further investigations.It is not certain what the next step will be. The security is likely to send the report to the Wildlife Conservation General Administration for further investigation. Should that happen, the right information about the device may be provided by the administration because similar cases happened sometime ago for an Egyptian vulture, a pelican and an imperial eagle. The security has been told about the role of the devices attached on birds. No change is expected on their attitude towards these devices unless they are ordered by higher ranking officials not to so. Previously, this issue was discussed with Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds that a public awareness program needs to be started, targeting the villagers and the security personnel.Finally, the fate of GPS is uncertain. There is a little chance to recover it from the security. The security has my phone number. They may call me for further investigation (possibly thinking that I am a German spy) and should that happen, I will defend the case. Ibrahim M. Hashim
CORRESPONDENCE
Message from 25.October 2013Dear: Dr. Michael.Kaatz I am a Hassan Mahagoub colonel of police State Police White Nile, Sudan, we found a Satellite tracking device that was to the back of the bird had Number (HL 392) after the Bird's death in Village near to the city of Kosti and if you want to get on this device, please call me in 00249123040374your feedback is valuable and appreciated.Thanks,Hassan
Message from 26.October 2014Michael Kaatz (collaborator) wrote:Hallo Martin, Hallo Andrea, Hi Shay,wir haben eine neue Nachricht aus dem Sudan. Ich bitte Euch, alles weitere in die Hand zu nehmen. Herzliche GrüßeEuer Michael
CORRESPONDENCE
31.October 2013Message from Max Planck Institute to Sudan Police department:
Dear Mr. Hassan Mahagoub,Thank you very much for your message to Dr. Kaatz. As part of a study on survival and migration of young white storks (Ciconia ciconia), juveniles were fitted with advanced GPS transmitters last summer in Germany. To find out the cause of death and to re-use the transmitter we would really appreciate if you could send the transmitter back to us via Fedex which we will pay for. Our Fedex number is 411767086. Unfortunately, I am not sure if Fedex is sending out packages from Sudan at the moment because of Embargo restrictions. Do you know how you could send the tag otherwise? Do you also have information of how the stork died and maybe photographs of the surrounding area, which would be interesting for our study.We will be happy to share the information about this stork which was wintering in Sudan and to launch future cooperation in our study. Kind regards,Brigitta Keeves
CORRESPONDENCE
Telephone conversation with Hassan Mahagoub colonel of police State Police White Nile, Sudan /4th of November 2013:
Keeves, MPIO: Hello, this is the Max Planck Institute from Germany. You have written to us that you found a tag of ours, which we use to track storks.
Mr. Mahagoub: Yes, the device is under criminal investigation. You want it back ?Keeves, MPIO: Yes, please. Could you send it to us when you are finished ?Mr. Mahagoub: Yes. Send me a email.Keeves, MPIO: Thank you, I will send you a mail with our details. Can you send it via post ?Mr. Mahagoub: I have never done. I will try.Keeves, MPIO: Do you want money for it ?Mr. Mahagoub: No, no money. Good bye.Keeves, MPIO: Bye
Email to Hassan Mahagoub, police White Nile, Sudan on 4th November:
Dear Mr. Mahagoub,It was very nice to speak to you. Thank you so much for your help and your support for our study about bird migration.Our full address is:Max Planck Institute for Ornithology To the attention of Andrea FlackAm Obstberg 178315 Radolfzell / GermanyIf you need any further details please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.Thank you very much.Kind regards,Brigitta
CORRESPONDENCE
Telephone conversation with Colonel Khalid Salah Atabani of police State Police White Nile, Sudan /th of November 2013:
Keeves, MPIO: Hello, this is the Max Planck Institute from Germany. Can I please talk to Mr. Mahagoub?Mr. Atabani: What ?Keeves, MPIO: Can I please talk to Mr. Mahagoub, I am calling from Germany. Mr. Atabani: He is not here.Keeves, MPIO: Can you help me. There is a transmitter ……..Mr. Atabani: Yes, yes, yes, I know about it. Should we send ?Keeves, MPIO: Yes, please. Mr. Atabani: Send me a address. Keeves, MPIO: I did send it to Colonel Mahagoub, but I will send it again to you. What is your Email
address ?Mr. Atabani: (gave me email address) I will send it to you.Keeves, MPIO: Thank you. Good Bye.
CORRESPONDENCE
Message sent 20.November 2013
Dear Colonel Khalid Salah Atabani, I have spoken to Mr. Mahagoub from the police department. He has asked me to send him our address so he can send the transmitter. Please see e-mail with our address below.Thank you and please let me know if you have further questions. Looking forward to receiving the transmitter soon !Kind regards,Brigitta Keeves Dear Mr. Mahagoub,It was very nice to speak to you. Thank you so much for your help and your support for our study about bird migration.Our full address is:Max Planck Institute for Ornithology To the attention of Andrea FlackAm Obstberg 178315 Radolfzell / GermanyIf you need any further details please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.Thank you very much.Kind regards,Brigitta
CORRESPONDENCE
Message on 20.November 2013 from Colonel Khalid Salah Atabani of police State Police White Nile, Sudan
ok --i well send the transmitter & the ring to the address belwMax Planck Institute for OrnithologyTo the attention of Andrea FlackAm Obstberg 178315 Radolfzell / Germany
Message on 10 December 2013 from Brigitta Keeves to Mr. Atabani:
Dear Mr. Atabani,Did you send of the transmitter ? We have not received anything. Could you maybe tell us who you sent it off with.Thank you very much and kind regards,Brigitta Keeves
Message on 23 December 2013 from Mr. Atabani (White Nile Police):Dear keeves,brigittaRefereing back to our conversation , I would a breif description of your organisation and its field of work, which is needed for some administritive work procedure.
I would also like to inform you that the fees for sending the transmeter and the ring is 40$ . If you have any other suggestion for sending them rather then post, please feel free to contact me.
Your sincerelycol..khalid atabani
CORRESPONDENCE
Message on 9th January 2014 from MPIO, Brigitta Keeves to Police department Sudan:
Dear Col.Khalid Atabani, Thank you for your message. Sorry for the delay in answering, but I was on holiday.Of course we will pay you the 40 Dollar for posting. Attached I will send you a form for you to fill in for the bank details and as soon as you send it back we then transfer the money. You can also send the transmitter via FEDEX if you like and you use our customer number. What do you think ? Then it would not cost you anything. Here is a short description of our organization: Max Planck Institute for Ornithology / Department of Migration and Immuno-ecologyHead of department : Professor Dr. Martin WikelskiWe aim to understand how animals migrate and how they survive. To do this, we equip individuals with state-of-the-art biologgers. Data from these transmitters are collected in an international online database that is accessible to the public. Between 2014 and 2020, the ICARUS-Initiative plans to establish a novel system capable of tracking even very small animals. This research will provide new insights into how organisms cope with the effects of climate change, disease, and man-made alterations to their environment.As part of a big study on survival and migration of young white storks (Ciconia ciconia), individuals were fitted with advanced GPS transmitter tags last summer in Germany. The transmitters are sending the exact location of the bird by SMS twice a day. With getting the transmitters back we are able to determine the cause of death and detailed data on the stork‘s movements. Let me know if this is ok for you or if you need further information. Thank you and kind regards,Brigitta Keeves
CORRESPONDENCE
Telephone conversation between Colonel Khalid Salah Atabani of police State Police White Nile, Sudan and Martin Wikelski, Director, MPIO on 20th January 2014:
Wikelski, MPIO: Hello, this is Martin Wikelski, Max Planck Institute from Germany. Can I please talk to Mr. Atabani?
Mr. Atabani: Yes.Wikelski, MPIO: You have found a stork transmitter, which has data on it. We will need it for our research
about stork migration. Could you please send it to us ?Mr. Atabani: Yes, ok.Wikelski, MPIO: Will you need our address again ?Mr. Atabani: No, is ok I have it. I will send it.Wikelski, MPIO: Thank you for your help. Good bye.Mr.Atabani: Good bye.
CORRESPONDENCE
Message sent on 4th February 2014 to the German Embassy in Khartum / Sudan:
Sehr geehrter Herr Welberts,
wir führen eine Studie durch wo wir Jungstörche in Deutschland mit GPS Sendern versehen haben und die Flugroute der Störche beobachten. Einer der Störche ist im Sudan runter gegangen. Ein Polizist der West-Nile Police department hat diesen Sender nun bei sich, jedoch weiß er nicht wie er ihn schicken kann. Deshalb wollte ich Sie fragen ob es möglich wäre, dass Colonel Hassan Mahagoub und Khalid Salah Atabani diesen Sender bei Ihnen abgeben und Sie ihn zu uns nach Radolfzell senden. Selbstverständlich werden wir Ihnen das Senden bezahlen. Der Sender ist sehr wichtig für unsere Forschungen. Bei Fragen können Sie entweder mich oder unseren Direktor am Institut, Prof. Dr. Martin Wikelski, gerne kontaktieren. Vielen Dank und mit freundlichen Grüßen, Brigitta Keeves
Answer sent on the same day:
Sehr geehrte Frau Keeves, Eine interessante Nachricht! Ich würde Ihnen gern helfen. Zunächst ist wichtig, in welchem Land der Storch runtergegangen ist. Falls das der Südsudan ist, werden Sie den Sender nicht nach Khartum bekommen. Mit freundlichen GrüßenRolf Welberts
CORRESPONDENCE
Message sent on 4th February 2014 to Colonel Khalid Salah Atabani of police State Police White Nile, Sudan :
Dear Mr. Khalid Salah Atabani,Further to your telephone conversation with our director Martin Wikelski, I have contacted the German Embassy in Khartum. Mr. Rolf Welberts, the Ambassador of the German Embassy in Khartoum is willing to help us.Would it be ok for you to bring the stork transmitter to the German Embassy to the attention of Rolf Welberts ? Their telephone number is: 00249 9 121 40 955.Do you have their address ? Please let me know if this would be ok for you ! Thank you so much. Brigitta Keeves Message sent on 4th February 2014 to our collaborator in Sudan, Ibrahim Hashim:
Dear Ibrahim,unfortunately we have not received the transmitter from the West Nile Police department yet. Would you please do us a favor and call the police on behalf of us to find out what the problem is. Here are their contact details:Khalid Salah Atabani, Tel. +249912315100OrColonel Hassan Mahagoub, Tel.:+249123040374 Thank you in advance. Looking forward to hearing from you. Best regards,Brigitta
CORRESPONDENCE
Message received on 8th February 2014 to Brigitta Keeves, MPIO:
Dear KeevesThanks for your message.I am afraid the police is still suspicious. I will try my best to collect the tag and will let you know.IbrahimHashim
Message sent on 10th February 2014 to our collaborator in Sudan, Ibrahim Hashim:Dear Ibrahim. My colleague and PI of this project Martin Wikelski has called the Police. They said they would give us the transmitter, but do not know how to, because they have never done this before. I am now in touch with the German Embassy in Karthum and have spoken to the Ambassador and he is willing to take the transmitter of you and will send it to us.Could you please call them on our behalf and refer to the telephone conversation we had with Khalid Salah Atabani. Then you could bring the transmitter to the German Embassy. I would inform them in advance that you will be coming.Please let me know if this is working.Many thanks and kind regards,Brigitta
CORRESPONDENCE
Message received on 12th February 2014 to Brigitta Keeves, MPIO:
Yes. I will do when I come back from Darfur the coming 2 daysIbrahimHashim
Message sent on 17th February 2014 from the German Embassy to Brigitta Keeves, MPIO:Sehr geehrte Frau Keeves-von Wolff,ich habe heute einen Anruf von Col. Tarig, CID State Police Khartoum erhalten (Mobiltelefon: +249 (0) 9123 15100). Leider sprach er nur sehr schlecht Englisch, so dass ich nicht wirklich verstanden habe, um was es geht.Er sprach von einem defekten Gerät, das im Sudan nicht erhältlich sei, und dass er deshalb mit Ihnen Kontakt aufgenommen habe. Sie hätten ihm geraten, sich an Herrn Botschafter Rolf Welberts zu wenden, damit das Ersatzgerät dann an diesen geschickt werden könne. Col Tarig würde dann das Gerät in der Botschaft bezahlen und abholen.Botschafter Welberts ist derzeit nicht da, er kommt erst Mitte März zurück. Vielleicht können Sie mir einen Hinweis geben, um was es sich handelt? Mit freundlichen GrüßenAngelika SkubellaDeutsche Botschaft Khartum
CORRESPONDENCE
Message sent on 17th February 2014 from Brigitta Keeves, MPIO to German Embassy:Sehr geehrte Frau Skubella, vielen herzlichen Dank für Ihre Nachricht. Ich weiß, dass es wirklich sehr schwer ist mit der Polizei zu kommunizieren ! Ich habe auch schon etliche Anrufe hinter mir und viele Email Kontakte. Wir haben hier in Deutschland Störche mit GPS Sendern ausgestattet, um herauszufinden welche Route die Störche nehmen und was sie den ganzen Tag machen. Leider sterben ca. 70-80% der Störche auf Ihrer Reise. Genauso ist es auch dem Storch im Sudan ergangen. Die Polizei hat den Sender, der für uns äußerst wichtige Daten enthält. Ich glaube die Polizei dachte zuerst, dass es sich um ein "Abhörgerät" handelt, aber wollen es uns nun zusenden. Sie wissen aber nicht wie man so ein Gerät versendet. Ich habe deshalb Kontakt mit Herrn Welberts aufgenommen, der uns netterweise dabei helfen möchte das Gerät an uns zuschicken. (Siehe Korrespondenz unten). Könnten Sie uns da auch helfen ?Ich danke Ihnen im Voraus.Mit besten Grüssen,Brigitta Keeves
Answer received on 17th February 2014:Sehr geehrte Frau Keeves,vielen Dank für Ihre schnelle Antwort! Ich habe bei der Kurierstelle des Auswärtigen Amts eine Ausnahmegenehmigung für die Beförderung des GPS-Senders erbeten, die wir hoffentlich erhalten werden. Ich melde mich dann wieder bei Ihnen.Mit besten GrüßenAngelika Skubella
CORRESPONDENCE
Message received on 19th February 2014 from collaborator in Sudan:Dear Brigitta I have been with Atabani (Police department), who keeps the device in his office, this morning. He said he doesn't mind giving the device provided that I provide him with my ID card, the name of our Society and its registration number. In addition to that he asked that you send to him a message that he delivers the device to me. Should you message reach him today, I will receive the device tomorrow. otherwise I will be out from office for two weeks, but I will keep in touch with him until I receive the device.RegardsIbrahimHashim
Message sent on 19th February 2014:Dear Khalid Salah Atabani,Please be so kind to hand out the transmitter of the white stork to our collaborator Ibrahim Hashim , who will pass it on to the German embassy for us. They are waiting for it. Thank you very much for your help. Kind regards, Brigitta Keeves
Message received on 20th February 2014 from collaborator in Sudan:Dear Brigitta.I have received the transmitter today. Please give my mobile (0912165374) to the embassy to arrange for delivering the transmitter. Apparently, it is not possible to contact the ambassador directly. Some junior official should arrange for receiving the transmitter.Good luck IbrahimHashim
CORRESPONDENCE
Message sent on 21. February 2014 to the German Embassy, Sudan:Sehr geehrte Frau Skubella, sehr geehrter Herr Welberts,ich habe soeben eine Nachricht von unserem Kollaborateur, Ibrahim Hashim, im Sudan bekommen. Er hat den Sender nun von der Polizei bekommen und würde Ihnen gerne den Sender überbringen. Hier ist seine Nachricht:I have received the transmitter today. Please give my mobile (0912165374) to the embassy to arrange for delivering the transmitter. Apparently, it is not possible to contact the ambassador directly. Wäre es möglich für Sie Herrn Hashim anzurufen und eine Übergabe zu arrangieren ? Ich bedanke mich wirklich ganz herzlich im Namen des Max-Planck-Instituts für Ihre Hilfe.Mit freundlichen Grüssen,Brigitta Keeves
Message received on 27.February 2014:Liebe Frau Keeves,soeben wurde der transmitter hier abgegeben. Leider müssen Sie noch etwas warten, da wir den Kurierweg doch nicht benutzen dürfen. Aber, wie schon angekündigt, meine Kollegin, die am 18. April wieder nach Deutschland fliegt, wird ihn mitnehmen und an Sie weiterleiten. Mit freundlichen GrüßenAngelika Skubella
