Malevolent Manna in Malawi
On the eastern edge of southern Africa, landlocked Malawi was in the news a few years ago because of its drought and associated famine. Things are little better now, and when food falls from the sky, hungry people will eat. Unfortunately this manna is black with feathers--the forked-tailed Drongo--a flycatcher kind of bird that for reasons unknown, died in the thousands on one hillside in Malawi a few days ago.
Samples are being tested for the possibility of H5N1 and people are being warned not to eat the dead birds. Your children are starving: what would you do?
One bird was banded, suggesting it had migrated through the middle east. Its band was inscribed with the word "Israel." If you haven't heard this story yet, if avian flu is confirmed in the next day or so, Malawi will become front page news before fading once more into desparate obscurity. But maybe these migrating birds died for other reasons. A bunch of Toronto birds died mysteriously a few months ago; bird flu was feared, but someone had poisoned them.
Comments
I can imagine what the news stories will be. If it turns out to be bird flu, and if the bird was really banded with a band containing the word "Israel" then the story will be a screaming accusation of the world conspiracy of the Israelis to spread bird flu among the heathens. I almost don't want to see the news anymore.
Posted by: pablo | December 21, 2005 4:51 PM
Please let us know the rest of the story, if you catch wind of it.
Posted by: Kathy Barron | December 22, 2005 7:29 PM