Anger as county’s bird of prey death toll soars

1 day ago / Janet Gleeson, 

NORTH Yorkshire’s reputation as the worst county in the country for the persecution of birds of prey has been further cemented after it emerged a sparrowhawk has been gunned down. 

Police said the latest casualty was targeted in the High Waistgate area at Feldom, near Richmond, close to the Marske to Newsham road, as The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the killings were becoming an increasing concern. 

The charity has revealed in the last decade more than 100 birds of prey have been deliberately targeted in the county. 

The sparrowhawk was found dead in the last week of April. In the same area last year a buzzard’s nest was found demolished. 

Tests were carried out by a local vet for the police and x-rays of the bird found it had been shot, with gunshot pellets found in the Sparrowhawk’s body and wings 

Wildlife crime officer PC Mark Wood said: “Killing a bird of prey like this is an offence, and I am appealing to anyone who knows anything about this incident to come forward.” 

The death comes just six weeks after a red kite, was found with lead shot in its body in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, near Greenhow, in Nidderdale. It was the ninth killed in the region in the past few months and the sixth in North Yorkshire. 

In February, another red kite was found with its wing shattered by shot near Harrogate. 

Jenny Shelton, investigations liaison officer for the RSPB, said: “This sparrowhawk is yet another victim in a shocking catalogue of incidents of bird of prey persecution in North Yorkshire. In the last ten years there have been 105 confirmed raptor persecution incidents in North Yorkshire, making it consistently the worst county for crimes against birds of prey. Red kites, owls and buzzards are also being targeted. Sparrowhawks are exciting birds to see and bring a touch of drama when they swoop in on a seemingly tranquil garden scene. Unlike most birds of prey, these are raptors you might see from your kitchen window as they ambush a flock of unsuspecting sparrows, their yellow eyes flashing. This latest incident shows how wildlife crime doesn’t just affect rare birds in remote places, but garden favourites like the sparrowhawk. It is a big problem and causing increasing local concern, it simply cannot continue.’ 

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Someone Shot Mary The Emu, And This Animal Rescue Wants Justice

Mary the emu did not like hanging out with the other emus at Rikki's Refuge, a Virginia animal sanctuary about 90 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.

The giant bird -- who was, in fact, male, but named after a refuge volunteer -- came to Rikki's in 2006 after evading capture by animal control in nearby Spotsylvania County.

The 367 private acres at Rickki's are home to more than 1,000 animals, including emus, pigs, horses, sheep, rabbits, cows, cats, dogs and peacocks and at least one very patient goat:

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BIRD FOUND DEAD ON BEACH 'SHOT'

A bird found dead on a beach on Kangaroo Island appears to have been shot.

The osprey, a rare species in South Australia, was found by a member of the public on Brownlow Beach, near Kingscote.

Rob Ellis of the South Australian Environment Department said there was a wound consistent with the bird having been fired at.

"It's really distressing because these animals they're rare, so they're declining in South Australia and to actually have a sub-adult killed maliciously is, you know, really quite distressing," he said.

Mr Ellis said osprey numbers were already in decline due to issues such as insecticide use and nest disturbance.

"We're just coming out of the breeding season, so September, October and part of November is the breeding season for these birds. And the sad thing is that if this animal had been involved in a breeding event, the chicks may have been doomed to also perish," he said.

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