Falcon ban, due to bird flu fears, to be lifted in Saudi Arabia

The official Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday that the current import ban on Falcons will be lifted next month.

The ban was imposed in January 2006 after authorities culled 37 Falcons when five of the Falcons were suspected of being infected with the H5 strain of avian influenza.

The Saudi Press agency quoted a statement issued by the Wildlife Protection National Authority, “Falconry is part our Arab heritage and is practiced by many of the kingdom’s citizens.”

The ministry of agriculture has set up a facility at Riyadh’s airport to test imported falcons for any diseases, the agency said. Imports will resume on September 16, it added.

So far no cases of Avian influenza have been reported in Saudi Arabia.

Source for this avian influenza story:

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