£10k reward for information after peregrine shot

Due to the severity of its injuries the bird was euthanised

A reward of £10,000 is being offered for information about the shooting of a peregrine falcon in the Peak District.

The bird was found injured at Hey Clough, off the A628 Woodhead Pass, near Crowden, last month.

The adult female was taken to a veterinary practice, where it was confirmed it had been shot and it was euthanised.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Peak District National Park Authority have offered the reward for anyone who helped secure a conviction.

Mark Thomas, from the RSPB, said this was just the latest incident of raptor persecution in the Dark Peak

The bird, which was found on 4 April, has been euthanised due to the extent of its injuries.

The RSPB said X-rays showed shotgun pellets lodged in the elbow and shoulder of the bird’s left wing.

A post-mortem examination also revealed a puncture wound in the bird’s chest caused by shotgun pellets.

The examination concluded the bird was shot at or near the location it was found, as the injuries it sustained would have prevented it from flying.

X-rays showed shotgun pellets lodged in the elbow and shoulder of the bird’s left wing

Mark Thomas, from the RSPB, said: “To think that this stunning bird was found shot at Dove Stone – a place which we help manage for the benefit and safety of species such as the peregrine – is shocking.

“This is just the latest incident of raptor persecution in the Dark Peak, a notorious blackspot for birds of prey, where these species should naturally be thriving.”

Phil Mulligan, chief executive of the Peak District National Park Authority, added: “It’s deeply concerning to see a species as iconic as the peregrine shot within our National Park, and so much more distressing during the crucial breeding season for many of our birds of prey.

"This is therefore not just the loss of a single bird of prey, but impacting on a potential further generation when every one of these charismatic raptors counts."

The RSPB said 30 peregrines were killed or injured in England between 2018 and 2022, including 19 that were shot.

Chris Wilkinson, of the Derbyshire Police Rural Crime Team, said: “It is a sad fact that bird of prey crime is still prevalent in Derbyshire.”

Anyone with information is asked to get in touch with the police.

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