Carisa Lee
Reporter
Carisa.lee@cnc3.co.tt
In 2015, when tour operator Winston Nanan died, something remarkable happened at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary—the first flock of flamingos migrated to the swamp. His son, Allister Nanan, who now co-owns the Nanan’s Caroni Bird Sanctuary Tours, believes that it was not a coincidence.
“I’m glad you bring up the date 2015, because the first time we saw flamingos in here was the 22nd of April 2015. You know why I know that date so good, is the exact same day my father passed away. The day he died was the first day we saw flamingos,” he said.
Ten years later, and people are hunting the flamingos, Nanan revealed to Guardian Media during an interview at the Bird Sanctuary in Caroni on Wednesday.
“When we see people killing them out, it kind of touching us in our hearts because we know for a fact that the swamp doing good, the habitat is perfect for them, and we can have more and more species of birds,” he said.
He said his father fought hard for the conservation and preservation of the sanctuary, with his first victory being stopping the transporting of gas through the swamp by large barge in the 1970s. Nanan said his father also sat on many boards, and many of his ideas became policies and laws.
“I’m sorry he passed away and didn’t see them (flamingos) before he died,” he said.
“They started off with very small numbers, maybe 50 or 80, but what we seeing (now) is large groups of over 400-500 flamingos,” he said.
Nanan said they were seeing a lot of young birds that may be coming from Venezuela.
However, he said he had to rescue at least two birds that had been shot by hunters so far this year.
Wildlife Conversationalist Ricardo Meade responded to his first call on January 4. The bird had been shot in its wing but attempts to save it failed.
Ten days later, Meade received another call from Nanan about a bird that was shot twice.
One pellet was lodged in the coelomic cavity, while the other shot struck the wing, fracturing the metatarsal bone. The flamingo was not operated on but is on the road to recovery.
Meade, founder of the El Socorro Centre for Wildlife Conservation, said the flamingo was strong and ready to go outside, and even though there was a pellet lodged in its wing, the bird was determined to fly again. The flamingo has another x-ray examination due in February.
Both men called for more patrols in the lagoon to protect the 186 species of birds and other forms of life in the swamp. Nanan said they reached out to the Forestry Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, but he does not believe enough is being done.
He worries about how many will die as the Carnival season approaches and people search for exotic meat.
“You know how Trinidadians does behave—they want to curry everything,” he said.
He said without enforcement, the laws were irrelevant.
Nanan added that the birds remain traumatised and had scattered after an attack, noting this also affects the tours.
“We go lose them because we does see the different behaviours of the birds, we know exactly when they got shot the night before because when we go to the islands with people to see them they move very strange, they don’t set on the tree, they come as much,” he said.
In a response, the Agriculture Ministry said they had held meetings with tour operators in December and January, and at no point did they mention the poaching of flamingos.
The ministry said through its Forestry Division, it had increased its game warden patrols to deter any illegal activities, but admitted the patrol vessel was undergoing repairs, which were almost completed.
A total of 20 endangered bird species have been recorded at the site, including the scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber), comb duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos), white-tailed kite (Elanus leucurus), snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis), and the severely threatened peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). As a result, several areas within the wider Caroni Swamp have been protected under the Forests Act, Chapter 66:01 and the Conservation of Wildlife Act, Chapter 67:01. Under the Act, Legal Notice 20 of 2020, the fine for hunting protected species is up to $100,000.
