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85 birds of prey illegally killed in 2019, report reveals
"There could be more than 12 times as many hen harriers breeding in England if illegal killing stopped" - Mark Thomas, RSPB head of investigations.
RSPB calls for urgent action to ensure that grouse shooting operates legally and sustainably.

There were 85 confirmed cases of bird prey persecution in the UK in 2019, including shooting, trapping and poisoning, according to the latest RSPB Birdcrime report.

Figures show that between 2012 and 2019, half of confirmed bird crime incidents took place in protected landscapes. The RSPB is now calling for governments to take 'urgent action' to end the killing of raptors and to ensure that grouse shooting operates 'legally and sustainably'.

Mark Thomas, RSPB head of investigations UK, said: “At a time when the world – and the UK in particular – is seeing catastrophic declines in wildlife populations, the destruction of rare wildlife looks like the opposite of progress. Healthy bird of prey populations are key indicators of the health of our environment. Yet there could be more than 12 times as many hen harriers breeding in England if illegal killing stopped.”

He continued: “The shooting community has had decades to get its house in order, but it is abundantly clear that they cannot control the criminals within their ranks. Current legislation has failed to protect our birds of prey, and the time has come for urgent, meaningful change.”

Among the confirmed incidents of bird of prey persecution include red kites, golden eagles, buzzard and hen harriers. The highest concentration of these crimes occurred in the upland areas of the North of England and Scotland, particularly where land is managed for driven grouse shooting.

Mr Thomas said: “The illegal killing of birds of prey is just one of the symptoms of a wholly unsustainable driven grouse shooting industry. The burning of internationally important peatlands is another hugely important issue.

“This destructive grouse moor management practice not only releases carbon into the atmosphere, it degrades the peat, impoverishes wildlife and increases the flow of water across the bog surface, in some cases causing devastating flooding in local communities downstream. In a climate and ecological emergency, this is simply not acceptable. Today, at the start of the annual burning season, the RSPB is renewing its call for moorland burning on peatland soils to be banned by Government.”

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is illegal to intentionally kill or injure a bird of prey. Doing so could result in an unlimited fine or up to six months imprisonment.

In the past decade, despite the combined efforts of authorities, conservationists and volunteers, there have been more than 1,000 confirmed incidents of bird of prey persecution in the UK.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.