Police on the island of Guernsey are appealing for information after at least three peregrines have been found poisoned with ‘an unusual cocktail of banned pesticides’ in the last 14 months. A fourth peregrine was found in June and toxicology results are pending.
This story featured on the BBC Channel Islands News last night and is available to watch on iPlayer until 18.55hrs today. Click here to watch (it’s the first item).
The short film includes interviews with Mark Thomas (RSPB Investigations) and David Chamberlain, Guernsey State Vet, who said he believed the pesticides had been imported from the UK rather than ‘hanging around for a long time on the island’ as a similar deadly cocktail had been used elsewhere in the UK for the same purpose of killing raptors.
The names of the pesticides were not revealed.
UPDATE 1st August 2020: 4th peregrine confirmed poisoned on Guernsey & another raptor submitted for toxicology analysis (here)
Shame a Holiday resort, has not made a big statement, like those in the Med, time for the public to show their displeasure. Wildlife can be a big asset to tourism or a burden .
Probably the usual criminal cocktail of carbamates, known in some quarters as the Nidderdale mixture. Pigeon Fanciers surely I cannot imagine large scale shooting on Guernsey.
No Grouse Moors on Guernsey, so pigeon fanciers and pigeon racers seem likely. Given the size of the resident population of Guernsey surely the number of potential suspects will be small?
There is a site on Guernsey from which racing pigeons are released.
https://www.rpra.org/racing-handbook/uk-liberation-sites-list/
Intriguingly I clicked on the link to be taken to BBC website to be met with: “Sorry, this episode is not currently available.” So looks like short window to see ‘old’ news, wonder why they don’t want catch up.