UPDATE FROM LEAGUE AGAINST CRUEL SPORTS

TAKE BACK THE LAND FOR WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES

On 10th July, Chris Luffingham, Director of Campaigns for the League Against Cruel Sports posted the up-to-date version of events. It is worth reading in full.

The Raptor Persecution UK site reports the death of birds of prey regularly. It seems to carry ‘a litany of death’, if not on a daily basis, but certainly on more than one occasion every few days.

The Raptor site reports on 11th July details of the finding of a Hen Harrier corpse. ‘River’ disappeared in the Nidderdale Area in January and in reading the report this bird did contain lead pellets. But there is more to it than that and so I recommend you read their report in full. And to add to that Loch Freuchie has bird corpses floating in it. Maybe Ravens?

Whatever way a fair minded person looks at the current situation then it is easy to surmise that there is a lot of killing out there. Wanton killing of our wildlife is carrying on, seemingly regardless, of legislation and of the organizations and bodies who are promoting the benefits of wildlife and conservation. There are people out there with shotguns prepared to kill. They have had an advantage for centuries and still have it. However, there are many people working against them and The League is one body doing that.

They say “If land where hunting and shooting takes place is withdrawn from service, hunting and shooting will find it harder and harder to operate”.

The League Against Cruel Sports is accelerating their action to make the process for the landowner who wishes to deny use of their land for hunting and shooting easier.

The League has been buying land, making them into sanctuaries, and thus preventing the hunters and the shooters being able to use them.

There are, unfortunately, massive tracts of land that was bequeathed by the monarchy and it is still owned by ‘the landed gentry’. Grouse shoots, pheasant and partridge shoots are held on those lands. Time for a rethink, maybe?

One answer is to take back the land “an acre at a time’ to add to the 3,000 already acquired.

There is a long way to go still. And I wish I could do more and be actively out there.