Environment

Bird of prey being shot into extiction

by Paul Conneally | December 22, 2008 at 01:02 am

343 views | 26 Recommendations | 5 comments

Hen harriers are being killed by gamekeepers and landowners that use their land for grouse shooting.

The extent of the killing is putting the species at risk according to environmental group Natural England.

It is illegal to kill these birds but this does not seem to stop rich land owners who make money by selling shooting rights to shoot grouse to other rich people from killing these and other birds of prey indiscriminately.

Hen harriers are nearing extinction in England owing to illegal persecution in areas managed for rearing game birds, Natural England has said.

The conservation watchdog said the birds of prey were persecuted at communal winter roosts.

In a 12-month period it found six birds fitted with satellite transmitters disappeared from the north Pennines.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the birds of prey were "not pests to be killed out of hand".

Natural England reported that hen harriers were particularly at risk from systematic persecution and disruption in areas managed for rearing red grouse or game-birds.

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Uwe Paschen

at 03:24 on December 22nd, 2008

Some times I wish I could show people that do this sort of murdering none sense what the World was like 3000 Years ago, before the Start of the so called great Empires and Human Uprising and how fast things have deteriorated since the Industrial Revolution or as it will be called soon "the Industrial Genocide of all living Creatures on Earth."

I am not sure what is going on in those peoples Brain and do some time doubt that they even have such a thing as "Intelligence."

Amitjha

at 03:55 on December 22nd, 2008

we humans are digging our own grave, by destroying the species after species.

rpshen

at 07:50 on December 22nd, 2008

Selling shooting rights is an awful thing. If only these rich people did better things with their money...

Paul Conneally

at 08:29 on December 22nd, 2008

thanks for uploading the video - great!

Matt_Cory

at 09:20 on December 31st, 2008

Taken at Ballaugh Curraghs near Ramsey in the North of the Isle of Man. We are very lucky to have around 50 nesting females here on the Island with a similar number of males.

Matt_Cory has contributed a photo to this story.