POISONED
SEVENTH RED KITE KILLED SINCE 2007
THE WICKLOW RED KITE Reintroduction Project received another blow with the confirmation that a female Red Kite found dead in Brittas Bay around Christmas time had been poisoned.
The bird was released in 2007 and quickly found a mate who she successfully bred with, resulting in the rearing of three young chicks at a site near Red Cross.
A member of the public found the dead bird in late December and reported the finding to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
It's the seventh Red Kite to have been killed since their introduction back into Wicklow in 2007.
Jimmy Deenihan T.D., Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has expressed his disappointment that some landowners continue to use illegal poisons indiscriminately.
'This was the second such case of poisoning of a Red Kite in the area in a six week period. Seven Red Kites are known to have been killed in this way in Co. Wicklow since the project began in 2007. This is the third Red Kite poisoned with alphachloralose in Wicklow during the past five months. I would appeal to people to act responsibly when it comes to implementing pest control measures, and, they should never be at the cost of causing death to birds of prey and other wildlife.'
Conservation Rangers immediately suspected the bird had been poisoned due to the apparent good condition of its body. Following new Raptor Monitoring Protocols developed by the NPWS, The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the State Laboratory, the bird was sent for toxicology testing at the Regional Veterinary Laboratory.
The results tested positive for alphachloralose, a poison which can only be used legally to control mice and then only in a controlled manner with a limited amount of dosages. While regulations are in place which make it illegal to use poisons to control foxes and birds, some landowners continue to flout the law.
Minister Deenihan says, 'As a result of their specialist scavenging habits Red Kites and other scavenging birds are particularly vulnerable and are usually one of the first to find poison baits or meat left out in indiscriminate, and illegal, poisoning attempts. The irresponsible use of poison baits has also killed numerous working dogs and domestic pets, in some cases where families had just taken their dog for a walk in the woods.'
Dr Marc Ruddock, Red Kite project manager, says the death of the female bird has had an impact on everyone involved with the project. 'This is demoralizing loss to the Red Kite population in Wicklow with the death of one of the breeding females. The Golden Eagle Trust condemns such irresponsible activity which continues to poison and kill Red Kites, other wildlife and dogs.
'We would urge anyone with further information to contact their local NPWS ranger or the Garda Síochána and to assist their enquiries and help identify and confront the few individuals who repeatedly and illegally poison wildlife. These illegal actions jeopardise local biodiversity and the economically important and deserved reputation and profile natural Wicklow cherishes.'
The National Parks and Wildlife Service welcomes any information on this case and the use of illegal poisons generally. You can contact their Regional Office in Laragh on (0404) 45800 or email wmnp@environ.ie
- MYLES BUCHANAN
