Based on a tipoff from sustainable hunters saying that a flock of storks had landed in the Western Bekaa locality of Safra, between Qob Elias and Ammiq, and that it might be killed by a known group of poachers, the anti-poaching unit (APU), affiliated with the Middle East Sustainable Hunting Center and SPNL, moved in after having informed the Lebanese army and military intelligence about the matter. Together with a group of professional hunters, the APU monitored the poachers’ movements for more than two hours and documented the entire incident. An army patrol moved to deal with the matter and interrogate them before they fired any bullets at the storks. This project is implemented with the support of the EV New LIFE project, under the EU fund.
This edition of Al Hima magazine weaves together inspiring stories of nature conservation and community resilience, highlighting how Lebanon is being stitched back to life—one Hima at a time. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) continues its mission to preserve the country’s natural heritage by empowering local communities. A cornerstone of this effort is the BioConnect project, funded by the European Union, which has achieved three national firsts: Lebanon’s first natural park (Upper Matn), first geological park (Shouf-Jezzine), and first endowment Hima (Btekhnay).