'red in tooth and claw'
Monday, December 22, 2008 at 09:31AM Ever thought about what is and what is not, illegal: and why?
Take one species as a discussion point to examine, and then ask why it is either a) worthy of protection or b)whether you agree with them either being pursued to extinction or just NIMBY?
The item under discussion is a bird of prey, namely the hen harrier. This bird is one of nature’s more successful hunters, because that is what this particular species has evolved into, and who can argue with the processes of nature? Unfortunately, the hen harrier has flown directly into a conflict with modern capitalism, in the shape of managed moors which hold grouse and other farmed birds which are grown to be shot. The harrier is a very efficient killer, because that’s what it’s very nature is, and if the male sees a field full of either static or slow-moving birds which it naturally considers as food, it is going to do what comes naturally, and therein lies the problem. The gamekeepers who manage the shoot moors rightly or wrongly consider the hen harrier as a pest to be driven from their area, and while not killing them, certainly make life uncomfortable to the point where the birds get the message, and move their nests and possible chicks to happier places where the gamekeepers do not rule!
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is naturally adamant that the hen harrier is, as a protected species, beyond reproach when it kills the nesting chicks etc. on a grouse moor. One would scarcely expect otherwise. The RSPCA has encouraged the breeding and nesting programme for these birds in Lancashire, but professes not to understand why these birds are failing to extend the range of their flying areas, as they feel that the birds should be capable of extending their numbers naturally, and in such extension, naturally the harriers would wish to fly and nest in areas where food is readily available. Their (inescapable) conclusion that the harriers are being persecuted is without serious evidence or proof, it is just that they reckon that the only enemy extant are the grouse gamekeepers, and therefore ‘case closed’.
Myself, I’m not convinced. It is possible that gamekeepers take an active strategy to rid their lands of such an efficient killer, bit it is also possible that the hen harrier just does not transplant as easily as the ‘experts’ believe!
P.S. Just as an afterthought, particularly relevant not only to this post, but our very way of thinking certainly within Great Britain. Ever thought about why we have the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, as well as the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals; but only the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children?
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Reader Comments (22)
Good points Mike.
The NSPCC does have a royal charter, granted in 1895. They decided to keep the NSPCC name because of name recognition and to avoid confusion with the similarly named RSPCA.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSPCC
"Just as an afterthought, particularly relevant not only to this post, but our very way of thinking certainly within Great Britain. Ever thought about why we have the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, as well as the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals; but only the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children?"
Or maybe they, quite rightly, think that the Nation, involving 60,000,000 people is more important that the Crown, involving 1 person. It is the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children but only the Royal Society for Protection of Birds and for the Protection of Animals.
'The Crown' describes the collective sovereignty of the British people. The monarch ('Royal') is the person of the Crown who embodies the British people.
'Royal' is the right and proper term and 'National' is meaningless.
There is no doubt that these magnificent birds are killed illegally by gamekeepers. The same thing happens in Scotland to golden eagles.
The Hen Harrier, a bird of prey, is doing what comes naturally, feeding themselves and their chicks. Man of course is doing what comes naturally killing for the sake of it. You know the cloth cap, and the gun...I believe Royalty take part in these 'sports' on a regular basis. Maybe the protection of birds is far more important than the protection of 'man' and their offspring.
Let me inject some sense.
The Hen Harrier is protected and they aren't being culled by gamekeepers, stout chaps who probably wouldn't cull them anyway.
The Hen Harriers are attacted to the shooting moors because man has made them a fully stocked larder.
Without shooting, game birds would not be reared in luxury and comfort - and the Hen Harrier would find there was much less food about.
Who likes the BBC programmes 'Springwatch' and 'Autumnwatch'? You know them, Bill Oddie and Kate Humble report the advance of the seasons from Devon, or Dorset. Anyway, you'll know the estate where they film is crammed with all kinds of wildife. You'll know that because the BBC's many cameras have captured it.
What Bill, Kate and their chums have neglected to mention is that all this wildife exists there because it is a managed shooting estate. Without the shooting, the estate would be turned over to other uses, possibly involving the destruction of the habitats that attract the little fluffy animals that Bill and Kate show us.
Shooting - it's good for wildlife.
I loath gamekeepers, bastards to a man.
I've worked all my life on the land and have never met a nice one yet.
They kill anything that is even a minor threat to their game birds - sparrow hawks, kestrels, stoats, kites, buzzards, you name it, they'll poison or shoot it.
Raptors do a terrific job round here, keeping pigeon numbers down and picking off the pesky rabbit and grey squirrel.
The shear number of pheasants produced each year is phenomenal, far in excess of numbers needed to keep stocks up. The impact birds of prey have on their numbers is infinitesimal.
Gamekeepers; 'Stout chaps' and guardians of wild life?.....gimme a break!!!
Shooting - it's good for wildlife.
LOL!
Well said Bernard. They don't just shoot protected birds of prey, they poison and trap them as well.
Actually, shooting really is good for much wildlife, especially when there is overpopulation of a species, which is bad for the health of the herd and bad for the ecosystem . For example, there should be more shooting of deer in America.( and the reintroduction of wolves, which continues at a nice pace is also a good thing )
I just hate all those clowns in their plus fours and stupid caps...oh let's go out and kill a bird today. What the F**** for isn't their enough for them to eat. I am sure these people suppost the cruelty of stuffing a bird so full for it's liver to expand. There is always and always will be assholes in this world.
How about reintroducing wolves in Britain and Ireland? Would that ever be considered?
They used to be an integral part of your environment. Why not bring 'em back?
By and large wolf reintroduction has been popular here...though not with ranchers.
Maggie - do you remember the episode of Only Fools and Horses where del Boy turned up to a posh-tart's shoot with a sawn off shotgun? Oh my God that is out and out the funniest ever episode.
Or more bears don't you just love the programme "The Hunter Hunted". If you haven't seen it the point is a 'human' hunter is taken out by a bear or something else wild. The human hunter is usually so surprised by the attack their 'equaliser'...the gun is of no use to them at all. Shame don't these animals realise they are being hunted for sport!!!!
Phantom
There is a large landowner in northern Scotland who is hoping to reintroduce wolves into his fenced off estate, not least to try to control the deer population. However, a recent tv documentary suggested that the estate may be too small for the experiment to succeed.
Beavers will be reintroduced into Scotland in a few months and have recently been reintroduced in England.
The beavers news is superb
I'm pro wolf so would love to see them howling across your moors again one day.
Phantom - Some people in Ireland just don't want to see a wolf about the place!
Oh I know.
The cattle farmers would understandably have a conniption
The deal in Montana and states like that is that for every calf or other farm animal taken by a wolf there is full reimbursement from wildlife societies.
But one of the big objections is that people think that wolves are a danger to humans - which they're really not. They're shy around people and are smart enough to know that people are a danger to them.
But do I expect wolves to be reintroduced in Ireland? Nope, not anytime soon anyway.
There is a beaver who has been reintroduced to New Yrok City (on the Bronx River) who seems to be faring pretty well. Considering the prior abudance of them and their place in the history of the state it is refreshing.
Beavers. Another stupid introduction (like the rabbit & grey squirrel) which is now being RE-considered because the UK has only 7% tree cover, the second lowest in Europe.
When these animals were commonplace in the north of Scotland, centuries ago, the UK was 90% forested.
Hunting for 'enjoyment' is truly a disgusting activity. I grew up on a farm and my Father and every other farmer i knew hated them. Killing an animal for nothing is disgusting to a real farmer.
I laughed when the pro-hunters' riot in London was dispersed in London a few years ago. The police should have cracked a few more skulls. These people are usually blow'ins to the countryside and are rarely farmers at all. They may keep a few horses in a stable, but that a farmer does not make.
Unfortunately, this riff-raff is coming over to Ireland now.
We had many a fun day in our youth, pelting them with stones when they entered our land illegally and damaging our fences. We got a few good hits too!
Their dogs would enter peoples' yards and kill their pets. There is one story from around here where a young girl was playing with her new puppy on the lawn. The dogs ruched into the yard and the child's mother had to run out and barely got her into the house in time. The child was looking out the window when the dogs ripped her puppy apart.
In rural Ireland at least, the hunters are below the travelers in the social pecking order.
Thank you Bernard, I was interested to see which ATW men would be opposed to beaver (beat you to it Colm).