North Yorkshire police have taken three months to appeal for information after the discovery of a poisoned red kite on moorland.
The kite was found by a raptor fieldworker on Lofthouse Moor, Nidderdale, in May 2012. Toxicology tests revealed it had been poisoned ‘by a combination of banned pesticides’. The press release doesn’t offer any further detail about which banned pesticides were used, but it also states that rodenticides were discovered during the tests. Confusingly, the police wildlife crime officer focuses on the ‘common problem’ of accidental rodenticide poisoning rather than the other common problem of deliberate poisoning using banned chemicals.
Why has it taken the police three months to make this appeal? Where’s the sense of urgency? Where’s the indication that this crime is being taken seriously? Does anybody know whether Lofthouse Moor is managed for grouse shooting?
North Yorkshire Police press release here
News article on the Grough website here
Raptor Persecution UK 
Incompetence , or is wilfull neglect.
“These birds should be cherished and North Yorkshire Police’s Wildlife Crime Unit takes this kind of incident extremely seriously. If anyone has any information about this incident or any other bird of prey persecution, please contact the police or Crimestoppers as soon as possible.”
Take it seriously they claim. Prove it Mr Policeman, because it does not look that way (again).
They take 3 months to ask for information and request to be contacted as soon as possible !!
I am the Mr Policeman and I cannot say a Red Kite has been poisoned until the evidence says that it has. I would dearly love to put out a press appeal on the day I found this Red Kite but it may have died of natural causes. I am tied by the time scales of other agencies.
Gareth, thanks for your comment. Your point is taken, BUT, why not put out an early press release to say a kite has been found in suspicious circumstances? This has been done by other police forces in the past.
That is exactly the point and it has been remarked on before. It is well understood that forensic examination takes a while because there are not the facilities sitting ready awaiting the arrival of a dead bird.
However, it is vital to get anyone who may have witnessed something to speak up at the time. One. two or three months down the road they will probably have forgotten what they saw or when. Providing no accusations against anyone are made I see no harm in asking the public for information based on a suspicious finding.
West Yorks police were able to do it: https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/west-yorkshire-police-warn-of-suspected-poisoning-activities-near-peregrine-site/
So were Devon & Cornwall police: https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/devon-cornwall-police-issue-bird-poisoning-alert/
What’s so difficult?
I hoped that Gareth Jones WCO would have commented on that aspect. Preferably with a positive response that such pro-active measures could become standard practice.
Historical note – 17th May 2002 a radio tagged [poison confirmed later] dead red kite was found in suspicious circumstances a couple of miles south of here [Wath area] by RSPB…the same day a search of the local gamekeeper and land was coordinated by Police/DEFRA/RSPB staff. Unfortunately no further evidence was found. No prosecution.
Such fast searches are essential in the very “leaky” countryside and can be done on suspicion of pesticide abuse alone. That was confirmed in Scotland during an appeal case on that very point – Perth Sheriff Court trial in 2001. Seems to get wilfully forgotten, up here anyway?
To your earlier question. Yes it is a grouse moor. It even has a shooting hut.