Raptor deaths reward upped to £10,000
An anonymous donor deeply concerned about the illegal killing of 16 birds of prey in Ross-shire has come forward to increase the reward for information leading to a successful prosecution.
Police Scotland has confirmed that the death toll in the area has reached 12 red kites and four buzzards. At least some of the birds of prey were poisoned.
RSPB Scotland offered a £5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction, which has now been doubled by an anonymous donor.
The conservation charity is urging anyone with information to contact Police Scotland as soon as possible.
Duncan Orr-Ewing, Head of Species and Land Management for RSPB Scotland, said: “This appalling incident highlights the very real threat illegal poisoning poses to fantastic species like red kites. The vulnerable Black Isle population in particular has been repeatedly hit by deaths due to illegal poison use. The Chilterns population in Southern England is nearly ten times bigger, yet both projects started at the same time in 1989 with the same number of birds released into the wild. That is a shocking indictment on behaviour of some in this part of rural Scotland.
“An anonymous donor deeply concerned at the illegal killing of the red kites has come forward to increase our reward for information leading to a prosecution to £10,000. We urge anyone with information to contact Police Scotland as soon as possible.”
