Heartbreaking: Dozens of Storks Found Dead After Electrocution in the Jordan Valley

About 30 white storks were found dead after being electrocuted by power lines near the Tovlan waste site in the Jordan Valley. A senior ornithologist from the Society for the Protection of Nature located the carcasses, and the organization warns of a recurring phenomenon and calls on the Electric Corporation to insulate or bury the power lines. The Electric Corporation reports insulating over 1,300 poles this year.

About 30 white storks were found dead after being electrocuted by power lines near the Tovlan waste site in the Jordan Valley. Yotam Bashan, a senior ornithologist at the Society for the Protection of Nature, drove along Route 90 yesterday (Sunday) and spotted the carcasses beneath the power poles. According to him, this is a recurring phenomenon every year, and the site attracts storks during their migration. Dr. Yoav Perlman, director of the Birding Center, calls the site a "death trap" for storks and black kites, noting that despite partial insulation, many transformer poles remain exposed. The Society for the Protection of Nature calls on the Electric Corporation to insulate or bury all power lines in the area, and on the regional council to act to prevent death traps. The Electric Corporation stated that this year over 1,300 poles have been insulated, and that in the Tovlan area intensified efforts are underway, including a plan to bury a transformer pole that cannot be insulated.