The press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan has spoken about birds that engage in "organised forest arson".
This refers to so-called "fire hawks", which include the black kite, the brown falcon, the Australian whistling kite, and others.
These birds have indeed been observed committing arson. They pick up already burning twigs and drop them onto grass, causing a fire and thereby flushing out small animals and insects from the forest.
Of course, the hawks do not start fires themselves, but only participate in their spread.
Simply put, these predators have mastered an effective hunting method, research into which, incidentally, is still ongoing, as this bird behaviour is not yet a universally accepted scientific fact.
It is worth noting that the black kite is a fairly common bird species in Kazakhstan. However, in our country, black kites lead their usual way of life, hunting small animals and carrion, but without the use of fire.
As for other birds, namely the brown falcon and the Australian whistling kite, it is important to remember here that their habitat is limited to Australia and nearby islands, meaning these birds cannot be accused of setting fire to Kazakh pastures or forests.
In this regard, the black kite has been less fortunate, as its reputation in Australia could well lead to a death sentence in Kazakhstan.
After all, can anyone in Kazakhstan really be surprised that a kite is starting fires in the forests?
The Ministry of Ecology has told us about far greater wonders than this. They once claimed that a female saiga impregnates itself at five months of age: "Born in spring, and by autumn it impregnates itself".
Though it's not just Kazakhstan that is famous for incredible facts about its fauna.
In 2020, when the tragic incident of the Sardoba Reservoir breach occurred in Uzbekistan, many also looked for the causes of the disaster in the animal kingdom. Specifically, theories even circulated online claiming the dam had been damaged by large fish.
It soon turned out that the causes of the breach were construction flaws and violations in the operation of the facility.
Clearly, blaming animals for any unpleasant events is much easier than taking responsibility for them. After all, neither the fish nor the kite can answer for themselves, and activists and conservationists are often accused of having political motives.
Perhaps soon, every new problem will be answered with lines from Korney Chukovsky: "And the foxes took the matches, to the blue sea they went, the blue sea they set alight".
For now, though, one must ask why the Ministry of Emergency Situations has started talking about hawks that have never once displayed their "fire activity" in Kazakhstan. If I recall, initially they were just informing us about the saigas, and then they set up an uncontrolled hunt.
Is the same fate awaiting the black kite?