The Lost Diary

Text and illustrations: Ran Levy-Yamamori

In cooperation with Dr. Savvas Iezekiel

In the past, there has always been a traditional hunt of song birds throughout the Mediterranean countries, especially during migration times. Mist nets, traps and limesticks (branches covered with a very sticky glue) were widely used to catch millions of tired birds which had just landed, exhausted from the long and dangerous route.

Unfortunately, Thrushes, Spanish sparrows, warblers and other birds, which are strictly protected throughout the EU, end their migration route cooked, boiled or pickled even these days.

Today, this hunting is declared illegal by the EU but throughout the Mediterranean area, especially in Malta and Cyprus, this hunting continues.

Sometimes for food, sometimes just for the pleasure of sport.

In Cyprus, an Island with about 1 million citizens, there are about 60000 registered hunters and a large unknown number of others who hunt illegally. The main targets of these hunters are birds (song birds and partridges) and hares.

The educational project:

This book, telling the story of one brave girl who discovered a ringed bird and become curious about it. She decided to fight illegal hunting in her village in her own way.

It is planned this book was distributed for free throughout the areas in Cyprus were this hunting occurs, to encourage children and their families to realize the sever damage for the birds populations, for the image of Cyprus as a country which encourages nature and ecotourism.

I hope that this book will contribute to educate the next generations that this illegal hunting must be stopped.