2nd May
A RED kite found in the North
Yorkshire countryside was killed by poison bait, it has been confirmed.
The bird of prey was found just
outside Ferrensby between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge in December. Tests
have now confirmed high levels of chloralose, a pesticide, in its kidney -
meaning it is likely the bird ate bait laced with the poison.
Sergeant Kevin Kelly, of North
Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said: "North Yorkshire’s wonderful
countryside is host to many specially-protected birds of prey, including red
kites. It is completely unacceptable that people think they can ignore the law
and subject these birds to poisonings and other forms of persecution without
consequence."
“Like other forms of rural crime,
raptor persecution is not a problem that the police can tackle alone. If
everyone keeps their eyes open for illegal traps and poisoned bait, it will be
a massive boost to our surveillance operation."
The bird would have succumbed
within a few minutes of eating the poison, but could have carried the bait some
distance before eating it so the location it found the carcase is unknown.
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