Over the last week the international team of ‘Bird Guards’ (1) from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) witnessed the shooting down of over 70 protected birds of prey and discovered 25 dead protected birds on Mount Lebanon near Beirut. An injured Marsh Harrier shot on the wing was also found by the conservationists. This is the first time an international team of bird conservationists together with local pro regulation hunters and birdwatchers are carrying out antipoaching operations in the Lebanon. CABS and SPNL teams joined by responsible hunters from the Middle East Sustainable Hunting Centre were met by a barrage of shots by illegal shooters in Aghbeh near Beirut. They found 16 freshly killed Honey Buzzards, a dead Marsh Harrier as well as one an injured Marsh Harrier on Wednesday morning.
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).