Chris Packham says deaths of birds of prey on Dorset shooting estates ‘very concerning’

Police investigating deaths of red kite and buzzard in Dorset, as poisoning worries grow following death of rare white-tailed eagle

The white-tailed eagle found dead in Dorset earlier this year (PA )

Just days after Dorset Police closed an "inconclusive" investigation into the poisoning of a rare white-tailed eagle on a shooting estate, the force has confirmed it is making fresh enquiries following the discovery of the bodies of a red kite and a buzzard.

The deaths have raised serious concerns among wildlife campaigners that those illegally targeting birds of prey are increasingly turning away from the poisons used in recent decades, to rodenticides used to kill mice and rats legally.

All three carcasses were found on pheasant shooting estates in Dorset, with the death of the white-tailed eagle causing particular outrage, as the individual bird was part of a reintroduction programme based on the Isle of Wight, and had only been released in 2020.

The Roy Dennis foundation, which manages the project, said the post mortem showed "the bird’s liver contained approximately seven times the amount of brodifacoum required to kill a bird like a white-tailed eagle".

But Dorset Police’s deputy chief constable Sam de Reya told The Independent: "While high levels of brodifacoum [rodenticide] were detected, it has not been possible to establish whether this was as a result of a deliberate act or due to secondary rodenticide poisoning."

Campaigners have expressed frustration that a toxicology report showing such high levels of poison has not warranted further action.

The discoveries of the dead red kite and buzzard have added to the concerns about what is happening to protected species in Dorset.

Ian Denton, who found the remains of the birds, wrote on Twitter this week: "​​Out walking in Dorset on Sunday 27th Feb, I was delighted to see a white tailed sea eagle. After enjoying watching the bird for an hour or so I noticed a dead buzzard within a stone’s throw of the eagle. The bird looked to be in prime condition."

He added that he had also found a dead red kite in the series of tweets.

TV presenter and wildlife campaigner Chris Packham, who lives in Hampshire, the next county to Dorset, told The Independent that in recent years there had been much focus on the detrimental impact on the environment of upland driven grouse shooting estates, but said "maybe we’ve been taking our eye off the ball in the lowlands".

He added: "The incident with the white-tailed eagle has drawn attention to this area. People have started looking more critically at what’s going on, and almost immediately we see significant spates of poisoning."

As well as the poisonings, he criticised pheasant rearing more broadly. The huge numbers of pheasant bred for shooting in the UK are believed to take a heavy toll on ecosystems, with experts warning that the birds’ appetites for snakes and lizards mean species such as the adder could be wiped out in the next decade.

Mr Packham said: "More than 50 million non-native game birds are released and there are significant concerns about the ecological impact of dumping that many non-native birds in. In the autumn time they represent more than half of the UK’s avian biomass, which is pretty scary.

"We also have an issue where all these birds are released to be shot and then shooting them with lead, but that means we can’t get them into the food chain because the lead levels in the meat is considerably greater than would be acceptable if they were chicken.

"So it’s a perfect storm of lunacy."

Campaigners in Dorset are also concerned about the seriousness with which the authorities will treat raptor persecution, as one Dorset MP, Chris Loder, put out a statement on Twitter saying Dorset "is not the place for eagles to be reintroduced".

"I’m not challenging government for more money for Dorset so it goes on this," he said.

"I don’t condone this at all, but I want Dorset Police to focus on county lines rather than spend time and resources on this."

But Chief Constable de Reya told The Independent: “The force is committed to keeping everyone in our county safe, including our wildlife, which brings so much to our beautiful countryside and our communities.

"As part of the police uplift programme and working together with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner we have reviewed our Rural Crime Strategy for the county and allocated increased numbers of officers to the Rural Crime Team to tackle the issues that matter. This includes all aspects of rural, wildlife and heritage-related crime.

"We will continue to work closely with many different partner agencies in relation to these issues. As always, should any new information be received in relation to this investigation, this will be considered.

“We want to make it clear that we take any and all potential wildlife offences seriously and will act to prevent and detect offences wherever possible.”

Asked about the deaths of the red kite and the buzzard, he added: "Enquiries into the circumstances surrounding these deaths are ongoing and we are continuing to work with our partners including Natural England, National Wildlife Crime Unit and the RSPB. We are unable to give any more information at this time."

The reintroduction of white-tailed eagles to the Scottish island of Mull, was recently reported to have brought up to £8m a year to the island by tourists coming to see the birds.

The Independent has contacted Dorset MP Chris Loder for comment.