Police say they will deal with the person who shot a protected bird of prey near Cirencester robustly for their unacceptable crime . A Red Kite was shot close to the village of Salperton with what police believe to be a shotgun on March 12. The bird was still alive, but unable to fly and was taken to the Vale Wildlife Hospital. The severity of it s injuries meant the bird had to be euthanised. PC Ash Weller from the Rural Crime Team said: This is an unacceptable crime and one which will be dealt with robustly if the offender is identified. An X-ray of the bird revealed multiple bone fractures caused by the lead shot, therefore suggesting a shotgun was used.
Police are appealing for witnesses after a protected species of bird was shot close to the village of Salperton in the Cotswolds. A Red Kite, one of only 4,600 breeding pairs in the UK, was shot on March 12. The bird became extinct in England in 1871 and in Scotland in 1879 after relentless hunting – the entire remaining Welsh population was derived from a single female bird. They were reintroduced in England by a programme run by the RSPB, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage which has seen their numbers rise by 1026 per cent between 1995 and 2014. RSPB Spokesperson Jenny Shelton said: “To know that they are still being illegally killed is a blow to anyone who enjoys and values the natural world. All birds of prey are protected by law and if anyone has any information that might help with this police investigation, I urge you to come forward.