Musings from the Merse
Thursday, June 26, 2008
death on the grouse moors
is a headline in the electronic Berwickshire recording yet another wild life murder in an area, sadly, notorious for such incidents. The story coninues:
Red kite dies days after shooting
SICKENING: Superintendent Mike Flynn of the SSPCA with the dead red kite.
"This is a very bad news day for the Borders"
By Kenny Paterson
ANOTHER crime against wildlife in Berwickshire has occured after the sickening death of a rare bird of prey.
An injured red kite was discovered lying on an upland grouse moor in the county last Monday by a doctor and his children out walking.
The juvenile female was taken to a wildlife vet where x-rays showed she had a shotgun wound on her wing and also her backside.
The red kite, which was in good breeding condition, appeared to be making good progress but three days later she suffered a painful death after a post mortem showed massive internal damage.
It is thought the red kite was downed with a shot to the wing from long distance while flying and its liver was ruptured with another pellet.
The death of a red kite follows the discovery of two badgers killed near Whitsome last month by illegal snares.
And in January, 25 poisoned baits were laid out around Greenlaw killing six buzzards, the highest recorded number designed to kill birds of prey in one location.
Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Superintendent Mike Flynn said: "This is the second iconic bird to be persecuted in the Borders alone following the poisoning of a female golden eagle last August.
"Red kites are very distinctive and would not be mistaken for a crow or the likes. In my 21 years with the SSPCA I have never known the shooting of a red kite and this is a very bad news day for the Borders. The vet at the Berwick Swan Trust was treating the wing and it seemed to be responding but the internal injuries were too great and the kite died. It would have been very distressed and it would have been a slow painful death. It is a pointless and senseless killing."
Anyone convicted of shooting a red kite faces a jail sentence of up to six months or a £2,000 fine under the Wildife and Countryside Act. A specialhotline (0870 2404832) has been set up for anyone with information about the shooting.
I suspect that some game keeper somewhere is unrepentant.
The Lairds need to get a grip
Labels: Borders, Red Kite Gamekeepers
Comments:
Post a Comment
