Newsletter / Blog
2012-12-15 Hen Harrier shot – North Yorkshire
A female Hen
Harrier that was found dead in the Yorkshire Dales, North
Yorkshire, had been shot according to conservationists. The conservationists
were monitoring the bird, which had been fitted with a satellite tag, remotely
as it ranged across the uplands of Scotland
and northern England
earlier this year. Concern for the bird was raised in late June when satellite
data indicated that the bird was stationary. The bird's body was recovered from
a moorland area managed for grouse shooting in the Yorkshire Dales by Stephen
Murphy of Natural England on 5th July 2012. The bird's death is being
investigated by North Yorkshire Police.
The Hen Harrier
is a rare nesting bird in England,
with only one pair nesting successfully in 2012. Government studies have shown
that the uplands of England
could support over 300 pairs and that the principal reason for the bird's
perilous state is illegal persecution associated with grouse shooting. |