POLICE are appealing for information after a Red Kite was found dead with gunshot wounds near Greenhow, Nidderdale on the afternoon of Saturday, March 11. That’s just along the road from where Henry had a picnic last year.
PC David Mackay, a Wildlife Crime Officer of North Yorkshire Police Rural Taskforce, said: ‘It has taken many years to re-introduce red kites after their near-extinction from the UK, and these magnificent birds can now regularly be seen in the skies over North Yorkshire.‘ which is true, but they can also regularly be found illegally killed in this area of North Yorkshire. Depending on exactly where the Red Kite was found it was either in the Yorkshire Dales National Park or the Nidderdale AONB. There are large areas of grouse moor to the North, South, East and West of Greenhow, I notice.
PC Mackay went on ‘I would ask anyone who has any information that could assist the investigation to get in touch with me.’
They could start by interviewing the grouse shoot gamekeepers
Paul – yes, they may have seen something suspicious.
I get the sad impression that a proportion of stakeholders are conducting a viscous vendetta against raptors, even above the ‘usual’ eliminations that have gone on for years. This is probably a misguided reaction to the increasing pressure the driven grouse shooting industry is coming under through the various conservation campaigns. It merely emphasises the cruelty, desperation and moral bankruptcy of their position. Let’s hope that they are stopped before too many more illegal acts are carried out. Looking forward to the next steps to Save Our Harriers. We will win!
This is the 2nd or third Kite to be found shot in this immediate area, if I were the police I would be looking at a list of shotgun owners in the area and perhaps paying them a call. Sadly this sort of thing here in Nidderdale happens with monotonous regularity to Red kites, Buzzards, Peregrines and given an opportunity as they are so rare these days Hen Harriers too. Time it was stopped, fact that this is a major grouse moor area is probably not a coincidence.
How long must we put up with this slaughter of our raptors? Surely the police can do something? Why is no one ever prosecuted for these crimes? Feels like no one is doing anything, ‘ oh another bird has been shot’ it’s just not acceptable.
I absolutely agree with your comment.
It was not long ago that Amanda Oliver, Acting Assistant Chief Constable for North Yorkshire said when responding to earlier criminal behavior in North Yorkshire (her patch) “We are also using our position as the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on rural and wildlife crime, to share what we have learned with other police services across the UK. On behalf of North Yorkshire Police I would like to apologise for the distress that this matter has caused you, and assure you that we will do our very best to protect our local wildlife, and deliver the police national wildlife action plan here in North Yorkshire and more widely”.
Time to get on with it.There are people with guns wandering round Harrogate postal districts with guns breaking the law. Our raptors deserve and need more than just press releases.
Shot Peregrine in Cumbria?
http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/15183578.Death_of_peregrine_falcon_in_Cumbria_sparks_investigation/
Is there no ballistic evidence that can link a shot gun pellet to a specific shotgun?
Shotguns don’t work that way. You can trace a bullet with the distinct markings the barrel leaves on the bullet on the way out. Shotgun pellets come out in a cluster and are too small for individual pellets to be associated to gain enough consistent markings from any barrel, plus they tend to deform on impact a lot more than bullets do. They are anonymous. Especially leadshot.