Ecuador investigates hunting, killing of four Galapagos giant tortoises

Hunting wild animals is punishable by up to three years in prison in Ecuador.

A giant tortoise looks up at the Galapagos National Park in Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador on January 14, 2022. (Dolores Ochoa / AP)

Prosecutors in Ecuador have announced an investigation into the alleged hunting and killing of four giant tortoises on the Galapagos Islands, a unique and fragile ecosystem considered a world heritage site. The prosecutor's office said on Twitter on Monday that it was investigating the "suspected hunting and killing of four giant tortoises in the Galapagos National Park wetland complex." A unit that specialises in environmental crimes is collecting testimonies from national park agents and appointing experts to carry out autopsies on the tortoises. The park management has filed a complaint over the death of the animals, the Environment Ministry said on its WhatsApp channel. The ministry did not specify which species the four tortoises belonged to, but said they had been hunted in the wetlands of Isabela Island, located 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. Hunting wild animals is punishable by up to three years in prison in Ecuador. In 2019, a man who rammed a tortoise and damaged its shell was fined $11,000. That same year, another driver had to pay over $15,000 for running over and killing a native Galapagos iguana. With an area of more than 4,500 square kilometres (1,800 square miles), Isabela is the largest island in the archipelago and makes up 60 percent of the land surface of the remote oceanic chain. The Galapagos archipelago is designated as a biosphere reserve for its unique flora and fauna. It was once home to 15 species of tortoises, three of which went extinct centuries ago, according to the Galapagos National Park. In 2019, a tortoise of the species Chelonoidis phantastica was discovered on the island, more than a century after its supposed extinction. READ MORE: Ecuador sells frogs to protect them from poaching Source: AFP

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Albania investigates military factory intruders from Russia and Ukraine

Tirana says it is cautious to talk about the motive of the intruders but indicated geopolitical developments.

An Albanian military member uses binoculars in Kucova Air Base in Kucova, Albania in this file photo taken on October 3, 2018. (Reuters)

Albania has said it was investigating why two Russians and a Ukrainian had tried to enter a military factory as police detained four Czech nationals also close to another military plant. The defence ministry said late on Saturday that two of its soldiers were slightly injured while detaining a 24-year-old man from Russia who had entered the grounds of the Gramsh military factory and was trying to take photos. He resisted arrest and used spray against the soldiers. Two others –– a 33-year-old Russian woman and a Ukrainian man aged 25 –– were arrested nearby. Defence Minister Niko Peleshi said on Sunday that it was too early to be sure about the motive but hinted at a possible link to Russia's attack on Ukraine, which has been criticised by Albania. "In view of the broad regional context and the geopolitical context, this cannot be dismissed as just as an ordinary, civilian incident, but we cannot rush to conclusions," he said after visiting the injured soldiers in hospital. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Saturday the three individuals were "suspected of espionage" without giving further details. Tirana-based media said the three suspects were bloggers who often visited abandoned military bases and other big plants in different countries. Peleshi said the investigation would show if they were bloggers and speak to their motives. READ MORE: Russians, Ukrainian trying to enter Albania army plant arrested Czech nationals detained When Albania was under communist rule, the Gramsh plant produced Russian-designed AK 47 rifles. The ministry's website says the plant now provides manufacturing services for the defence industry. In the past, it was also used to dismantle small arms and ammunition. In a similar incident police said on Sunday four Czech nationals had been detained at the Polican military plant. Police said two Czech women were initially spotted outside the plant and two other men were found inside the tunnels. Tirana media reported all four said they were tourists. The Polican plant was used during communism to produce ammunition for Russian made rifle AK 47, hand grenades, anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Some foreign tourists who have visited the place previously have managed to enter the tunnels where the ammunition was made, and they have published their photos on internet. From their photos the area looked abandoned where old machines and bullet rounds are seen on the ground. Albania, a member of NATO since 2009, has joined the United States and other western countries to condemn Russia's attacks on Ukraine and has introduced sanctions against Moscow. Source: Reuters

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Chile investigates massive sinkhole

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The National Service of Geology and Mining (Sernageomin) has sent specialist personnel to the area to run an inquiry on the sinkhole.

A sinkhole is exposed at a mining zone close to Tierra Amarilla town, in Copiapo, Chile, August 1, 2022. (Reuters)

Chilean authorities started investigating a mysterious sinkhole about 25 meters (82 feet) in diameter that appeared over the weekend in a mining area in the north of the country.

Chilean media on Monday showed aerial images of the sinkhole on land operated by a Canadian Lundin Mining copper mine, about 665 kilometers (413 miles) north of capital Santiago.

The National Service of Geology and Mining (Sernageomin) became aware of the sinkhole on Saturday and has sent specialist personnel to the area, the agency's director David Montenegro said in a statement.

"There is a considerable distance, approximately 200 meters (656 feet), to the bottom," Montenegro said. "We haven't detected any material down there, but we have seen the presence of a lot of water."

A sinkhole is exposed at a mining zone close to Tierra Amarilla town, in Copiapo, Chile, August 1, 2022. (Reuters)

Sernageomin reported the closure of areas from the entrance to the work site of the Alcaparrosa mine, located near the sinkhole.

In a statement released on Monday afternoon, Lundin Mining said the sinkhole did not affect any workers or community members.

"The closest home is more than 600 meters (1,969 feet) away while any populated area or public service are almost a kilometer away from the affected zone," the statement read.

Lundin Mining owns 80 percent of the property and the rest is held by Japan's Sumitomo Corporation.

Source: Reuters

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