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 | | From: | J Smytje | | Subject: | More poisonings of birds of prey - The joys of summer. | | Date: | Fri, 17 Dec 2004 12:51:22 +0000 |
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 | http://www.advocatesforanimals.org.uk/campaigns/wild/others/poisoning.html
More poisonings of birds of prey
Summer 2004
This spring, the police, acting on a tip-off from a member of the
public, discovered the bodies of 25 protected birds of prey on a
single sporting estate near Peebles.
The birds, 22 buzzards, one tawny owl, one heron and one extremely
rare goshawk had been poisoned. They were all thought to have been
killed within a few weeks of each other. This was the fourth major
reported case of bird poisoning in the Scottish Borders in the past
year.
Described as one of Scotland's worst ever cases of wildlife crime,
RSPB Scotland's Dave Dick said:
"It is utterly disgusting that our wildlife is still being wantonly
and indiscriminately persecuted."
Other recently reported incidents of death by poisoning include
peregrine falcons found dead in Aberdeenshire and red kites found in
Dumfries and Galloway. These are just the latest in a long series of
poisoning incidents. It does raise the question of how many more birds
are being cruelly killed on sporting estates that go unreported. These
incidents may well be just the tip of the iceberg.
'Sporting' estates
Illegal killing of protected birds of prey has been found to be
particularly rife on or near sporting estates where raptors are often
wrongly accused of threatening grouse numbers and, therefore,
financial 'sporting' interests.
Recent changes in the law have increased the maximum sentence for
wildlife crime to six months' imprisonment or a £5000 fine. Estate
owners can also be prosecuted if they allow offences to be committed
on their land. Sadly, though, because these crimes are mostly
committed in remote areas, the guilty parties are seldom discovered
and brought to justice.
Advocates will do what it can to highlight this illegal slaughter of
Scotland's wild birds.
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