20 condors poisoned in Chile

 Condors poisoned in Chile

Photo from 2006 where a condor is released after being treated by veterinarians who found it after having been shot by poachers.

Photo: Santiago Llanquin / AP

Chilean authorities have launched an investigation after 20 condors have been found poisoned in the Andes.

With a wingspan of up to three meters and its ability to float on air currents for hours Condors is usually one of the most elegant birds.

Sunday began, however, several condors to fly straight into the rock face near a power station high in the Chilean Andes.

Exploration crews were sent into the mountains after Kondor strange behavior was observed from the ground.

Staggered around on the ground

Volunteers and others found on Sunday 17 birds that had foam around the beak and was too weak to fly.

Instead staggered birds around on the ground and seemed as if they were dizzy, writes the BBC .

Monday they found another sick condor, and two who were already dead. In addition, we find two foxes also seems to be dead by contaminants.

All birds are now under treatment at a veterinary clinic in the city of Los Andes, about 70 kilometers east of the capital, Santiago.

- The hypothesis is that they have been poisoned after being exposed to insecticides used in agriculture, says one of the attending veterinarians, Eric Savard, the news agency said.

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