West Yorkshire Police are appealing for information after the discovery of a shot buzzard that has suffered “massive trauma”, according to an article in the Yorkshire Post.
Police believe the bird was shot between 1st and 6th May in the area around Harewood Avenue, Harewood.
It was found by staff from Harewood Speed Hillclimb, and an examination by a vet revealed that it had been shot, with the shot damaging its wing feathers as it passed through.
Appealing for information, Pc Andy Katkowski, based at Wetherby Police Station, said the buzzard was unable to fly as a result of its injuries. He said: “This buzzard has suffered unnecessarily and must have been in a lot of pain and discomfort.”
Witnesses or anyone with information are urged to contact West Yorkshire Police. Any information will be treated with strict confidentiality. Contact Pc Katkowski on Andrew.katkowski@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk
Raptor Persecution UK 
There seems to be a bloody lot of people in this country who not only are entirely unsuitable to be in possession of guns, but cannot be trusted with their personal freedom.
There seems to be a bloody lot of gamekeeper scum in this country.
Lack of successful prosecution becomes an incentive to wildlifecrime.
It has been sanctioned as something that is ok to do…never mind the noises they are making.
It’s scandalous that nothing is being done! The ‘justice system’ is at best not working, (sadly) more likely, in collusion with the perpetrators! Sickening and shameful!
I hate these people who get away with killing and injuring our wildlife AND GET AWAY WITH IT because they don’t get prosecuted at all their laughing in our faces THE LAW NEEDS TO CHANGE DRASTICALLY!!!! Name and shame and publicly bring them to justice JUDGES NEED TO DO MORE THEIR NOT DOING ENOUGH FOR OUR WILDLIFE!!! THEIR LETTING US DOWN!!!!
When the Environment Agency issues licences to kill Buzzards, it gives a green light to any idiot with a gun.
Minor point but thought it was the guardians of the natural environment and wildlife Natural England who were issuing licences to pheasant shooting estates to kill buzzards? Happy to be corrected by another pedant:)
My understanding is that one license was granted to remove a small number of buzzards after having (supposedly) shown that they have already attempted to protect their pheasants by non lethal means. Perhaps there have now been more granted. The trouble is, some keepers do appear now to be taking the attitude that a licence has been granted to control buzzards, so it’s OK to just kill some, because they “know” they will get a license if they ask for one.
This is why I always knew it was a bad move to allow any licences, but have people forgotten that Natural England consistently refused licenses until a court of appeal ruled that their grounds for refusing were not justifiable. Lets not pretend that Natural England are happy about this situation, or complicit with it.
It is.
Very strange. This is the heart of Red Kite country. This ridge is a favourite haunt of the kites presumably because they also have the river Wharfe below so they are constantly patrolling the area. There are also a lot of walkers who use the public footpaths and a children’s nursery nearby.
Chris us right about it being Natural England who were forced by the the courts to grant a licence to kill buzzards. That was largely because they couldn’t explain why they allowed general killing of corvids by shooting interests but not killing of raptors, we should oppose all the wildlife slaughter by these b*stards or we end up getting caught in these legal traps…