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"Birds of Prey Found Dead" (1 Viewer)

helenol

Well-known member
From the BBC News Website:

"The remains of more than 20 birds of prey have been discovered by police in a raid on an estate in Peeblesshire.


Most of them were buzzards, but the remains of a tawny owl, a goshawk and a heron were also found.

It is believed the birds were poisoned, but police will not release the name of the estate involved until further tests have been completed.

Campaigners said it may be the worst recorded case of wildlife crime against birds of prey in Scotland.



Police and animal welfare officers took part in the raid, which lasted 12 hours.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds described it as a "shocking and appalling case".

The remains of the birds have been taken for post mortem analysis to the laboratories of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency to determine if they were deliberately poisoned. However, it could take up to two weeks before the results of tests are known."
 
This is really a good example of the ignorance of human-kind, the good thing is that they found the cause of the deaths before anymore birds could perish, but its a shame for the 20-or so that have already perished...Whoever did this, I hope they catch them, and they get what they deserve.
 
ROBL250 said:
This is really a good example of the ignorance of human-kind, the good thing is that they found the cause of the deaths before anymore birds could perish, but its a shame for the 20-or so that have already perished...Whoever did this, I hope they catch them, and they get what they deserve.
Alas they never do!!!!!!:-C
 
I reckon theres only one punishment for these people.
Make them eat the poison!
See how they like it.
grrrr
Oh hold on ive just thought of another punishment.
10 minutes of being stoned/catapulted/crossbowed etc by birders!
heh
Form an orderly queue! :)
 
This is good news that these criminals have been found out, unfortunately it's bad news for the birds and for the countless other birds that are illegally murdered on the estates of prominant peers of the realm, (if that's the correct term to use in this instance). These people think that they are above the law, it's up to us to show them that they are not.

nirofo.
 
stake them to the ground and pour food on them and let the raptors swoop down and eat from them.

Elizabeth's idea is probably more sensible
 
I have read that the estate will be named when all of the investigations are concluded into what poison, circumstances etc.

Sadly this may be another piece of evidence similar to that which I had assembled in another thread to illustrate that some gamekeepers illegally poison birds when some members questioned my statement of these activities. I had produced several court case outcomes to back up my statement in the other thread. Of course, this may not be a gamekeepers doing so I am not saying that it is in this case but I am interested in the outcome.
 
Shocked....Yes
Angry.... VERY
Surprised....no

So who's to blame then ?
The Gamekeeper will tell us he was under pressure from the Estate to reduce predation blah blah blah

Or the Estate owners will tell us they had NO IDEA that their gamekeepers were using such practices and OF COURSE there will be a full internal inquiry...blah blah

In the end the gamekeeper takes the fall, the Estate carrys on as normal with new keepers, all go's quiet....until the next time

Whats the Answer then ???

Prosecute the Estates and Keepers ? fine them heavily ?
Remove Licenses ? Bad Publicity ? Prison ?, ALL ?

If I was to poison a sparrowhawk in my Garden that was taking what I thought was an above average amount of birds What would happen to me ?

However If I own a multi-million pound estate employing tens of staff and generating income for the local area, not to mention having my Barrister friends shoot at the weekends then what would happen to me ??

Am I making sense ?

any way rant over.
 
Scott67 said:
Shocked....Yes
Angry.... VERY
Surprised....no

So who's to blame then ?
The Gamekeeper will tell us he was under pressure from the Estate to reduce predation blah blah blah

Or the Estate owners will tell us they had NO IDEA that their gamekeepers were using such practices and OF COURSE there will be a full internal inquiry...blah blah

In the end the gamekeeper takes the fall, the Estate carrys on as normal with new keepers, all go's quiet....until the next time

Whats the Answer then ???

Prosecute the Estates and Keepers ? fine them heavily ?
Remove Licenses ? Bad Publicity ? Prison ?, ALL ?

If I was to poison a sparrowhawk in my Garden that was taking what I thought was an above average amount of birds What would happen to me ?

However If I own a multi-million pound estate employing tens of staff and generating income for the local area, not to mention having my Barrister friends shoot at the weekends then what would happen to me ??

Am I making sense ?

QUOTE]

Perfect sense!!
 
Hopefully (in Scotland at least), the long awaited land reform act will start to bring land ownership and control into the 21st century and rid us of these victorian attitudes where vast tracts of our landscape are still used and abused by an elitist clique.
Of course poisoning and trapping still goes on, this estate were the unlucky ones to be caught. Ever since the clearances Scotland has been turned into one vast sporting playground and it's long overdue for a change, putting ownership back into the hands of the communities that live and work there and bringing the balance of nature and man back.
Until this happens, we'll still have to stare at vast empty grouse moors, devoid of raptors for the sole reason of "sport" and birds and other "predators" will still be persecuted.
For an enlightening read visit

www.whoownsscotland.org.uk

All addresses and ownership of estates are listed..........these are the people who are "managing" some of the largest and most important tracts of land in Europe....Al Fayed, The Owner of "Lego", A Danish lingerie mulit-millionaire....says it all really.

JP
 
do not tar all game keepers with the same brush , most of us do more for the country side and its wildlife than most bird watchers do . how many bird watchers spend all hours out not just watching bird life but getting stuck in to digging ponds, clearing woodland that has been over grown for years nothing but brambles only to see a year later wild primrose , blue bells and other plants , areas of woodland coppice were the bird life was none , a year later for nuthatch, finches ,longtailed tits, coal tit and treecreeper to appear, what was a small pond after over 200 hours of hard work with nothing more than a three foot bucket and a farm jcb 72 trailer load of sub soil later we had a new water with now two years later full of bird life and animal life , so i think its time some of you gave gamekeepers the credit for all the hard work they do to improve the country side that we all love
 
derekjake said:
do not tar all game keepers with the same brush , most of us do more for the country side and its wildlife than most bird watchers do . how many bird watchers spend all hours out not just watching bird life but getting stuck in to digging ponds, clearing woodland that has been over grown for years nothing but brambles only to see a year later wild primrose , blue bells and other plants , areas of woodland coppice were the bird life was none , a year later for nuthatch, finches ,longtailed tits, coal tit and treecreeper to appear, what was a small pond after over 200 hours of hard work with nothing more than a three foot bucket and a farm jcb 72 trailer load of sub soil later we had a new water with now two years later full of bird life and animal life , so i think its time some of you gave gamekeepers the credit for all the hard work they do to improve the country side that we all love

But the only thing you mention in your interests is - shooting!
 
Shooting what i wonder!
my source informs me the exact number of birds were 22 Buzzards, a Tawny owl, a Heron and a Goshawk. I fear "evidence" is going to be difficult to obtain in this case, but wait, I have been informed there has been a development! (cant say but wait and see!)
Not all gamekeepers should be tarnished with the same brush, but every keeper I have come into contact with should, believe me. i drink occassionaly in a country pub wher I hear a number of keepers regulaly talking about thye "vermon" on the estates, and when they start talking about looking for their nests I gather they are not talking about rats either. (yep the police local wildlife liason officer is aware!)
Heres to a good breeding Spring (I hope!)
 
I am pretty sure we werent tarring "all" gamekeepers with the same brush.
Just the ones who are w****rs and need a good kickin.

Unfortunately, like everything else, because of a small minority acting disgustingly a lot of people will class all gamekeepers as evil raptor killers.
In the same way many people will class scientists who work on animals evil torturers, completely ignoring the fact that they could be finding a cure for cancer etc.

Its the way of the world.
 
pduxon said:
stake them to the ground and pour food on them and let the raptors swoop down and eat from them.

Elizabeth's idea is probably more sensible
Your right Pete Elizabeths is sensible. but i think yours would be more fun!!! he-he-he.
bert.
 
peteh said:
I am pretty sure we werent tarring "all" gamekeepers with the same brush.
Just the ones who are w****rs and need a good kickin.

Unfortunately, like everything else, because of a small minority acting disgustingly a lot of people will class all gamekeepers as evil raptor killers.
In the same way many people will class scientists who work on animals evil torturers, completely ignoring the fact that they could be finding a cure for cancer etc.

Its the way of the world.
Hi Pete,

Sadly, it isn't a small minority, at least where grouse moor keepers are concerned. A scientific study a couple of years ago demonstrated that about 90% of grouse moor keepers were involved in illegal raptor persecution. That's a large majority.

Lowland keepers have a better reputation, and its nice to hear of the good work that some do. But even in the lowlands, there's bad eggs too (usually injected with alphachloralose, and put out in the middle of a field).

Michael
 
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