Police Scotland have launched an investigation after the discovery of a dead peregrine which they say has been ‘illegally killed’.
The cause of death has not been reported.
The dead four year old bird was found by raptor study group fieldworkers at Cambusbarron Quarry, near Stirling, on 15th April 2014.
The local police wildlife crime officer said that Police Scotland takes raptor persecution “very seriously” and will be working with the Scottish Raptor Study Group, RSPB Scotland, and members of the local community to identify the criminal responsible.
As we all know, it’s extremely unlikely that the criminal will be identified, let alone brought to justice, but it’s good to see Police Scotland put out a timely press release, and although the cause of death hasn’t been revealed (perhaps for tactical purposes?), at least this time they haven’t gone all cryptic and said ‘it didn’t die of natural causes’.
The bigger picture, of course, is the on-going illegal persecution of birds of prey. Here’s yet another example, hot on the heels of the Ross-shire Massacre, and the poisoned peregrine at Leadhills, demonstrating that raptor persecution is still happening with alarming regularity, 70 years after it became a criminal offence.
Full details in the Courier here.
Peregrine photo by Martin Eager.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Were they not looking for planning permission to reopen that quarry?
It is a place frequented by rock climbers, but they generally respect nesting birds etc. The report does not actually give a clue as to who may be responsible. The information given out in these wildlife cases always seems to be the barest minimum possible. MI5 tactics.