An illegally shot buzzard is the latest in a spree of cruel wildlife crimes in Scotland that shows new laws aren’t working, campaigners have warned.
The protected bird of prey suffered “significant unnecessary suffering” after it was found dead of a shotgun wound near an estate in Perthshire in mid-May. The shotgun blast “caused fracture of the lower leg bone” meaning the buzzard “died slowly as a result of the leg wound and secondary infection”, post-mortem analysis found.
The League Against Cruel Sports and Raptor Persecution UK both highlighted that the incident occurred just weeks after MSPs passed new wildlife legislation in March supposed to tackle the persecution of birds of prey. The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Act 2024 was aimed at regulating grouse moors and stopping rogue gamekeepers from killing birds of prey to boost numbers of gamebirds for shooting on estates.
But this latest killing follows a string of horrific crimes against raptors revealed this week. In July, a dead golden eagle was found in a bag with body parts cut off close to Loch Rusky, near Stirling. And in April, a red kite was found dead in Sutherland poisoned with lethal banned pesticide Carbofuran, a quarter-teaspoonful of which can kill a person.
The shot buzzard was found on its back with its wings spread near the boundary of land belonging to Glenturret Estate in rural Perthshire by a field officer for The League Against Cruel Sports who was carrying out research on grouse moor management in the area. Police have now notified the League they have concluded their investigation with no charges being brought.
Robbie Marsland, Scotland director for the anti-blood sports group, said: “Why would anyone shoot at a buzzard – unless it was someone who was trying to make sure there would be more grouse to shoot for so-called sport? The new laws were supposed to stop this kind of wanton cruelty but this case just goes to show that the killing goes on.
“Our worry is that this cruelty will continue as long as buzzards, hen harriers and golden eagles are seen as a threat to the shooting industry, rather than the magnificent creatures that they are.”
Dr Ruth Tingay of Raptor Persecution UK added: “It was the persistent illegal killing of golden eagles and other raptors that led the Scottish Parliament to introduce a grouse moor licensing scheme earlier this year, a ground-breaking piece of legislation designed to impose sanctions on those who continue to kill our special birds of prey. The news that yet another raptor has been shot and killed is appalling.
“This case, along with other ongoing police investigations such as the recent shooting of an osprey and a peregrine, as well as the poisoning of a red kite and the discovery of a dismembered golden eagle found dumped inside a plastic bag, will test the effectiveness of the new legislation. If the killings continue, it’s likely there will be a push to ban gamebird shooting outright. If businesses can’t operate without killing protected species then they shouldn’t be in business.”
The Scottish Government has said the new legislation was brought in “primarily to address raptor persecution and ensure that the management of grouse moors and related activities are undertaken in an environmentally sustainable and welfare conscious manner”.
It comes as the need to tackle wildlife crime on estates is set to be discussed at the REVIVE conference in Perth on Sunday. REVIVE is a coalition of the League Against Cruel Sports, Common Weal, OneKind, Friends of the Earth Scotland and Raptor Persecution UK.
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