White Storks shot in Malta

I am literally shaking with rage as I write this and finding it very hard not to resort to profanities, capital letters and exclamation marks. Yesterday evening a record sized flock of 200 White Storks arrived on Malta. In most countries this would be a fantastic sight for birders and 'normal people' alike to witness. Not in Malta. The birds were shot at as they tried to roost, and again when they left the roost this morning. It appears that they may also have been shot at overnight whils roosting, utterly appalling behaviour. For the full story, check out the Birdlife Malta news page.
White Storks hold such an important place in European folklore. Historically then were common across the mainland but farming practices led to their near extinction in many countries by the early 1900's. Re-introduction programmes and provision of nesting platforms, involving thousands of hours of dedicated work by volunteers managed to restore populations in many parts of Europe and now they can be enjoyed across the continent. An incident like this is a crime comitted against the whole of Europe, and I can only hope that it stimualtes a serious public outrage and forces the Maltese Government to do more to prevent illegal hunting. Please pass this on to anyone who may be interested, and also those who probably aren't. People need to know just how bad things are out there.
You can show your support for preventing this sort of behaviuor by joining Birdlife Malta here.