North Wales Police Rural Crime Team has issued an appeal on Twitter for information after a toxicology report earlier this month confirmed that a red kite had tested positive for the poison Bendiocarb.
Unfortunately the details of this latest wildlife crime are vague. The kite was found ‘in the area’ of the Ceiriog Valley ‘earlier this year’ and the police believe the poisoning was ‘potentially deliberate’.
That’s it, I’m afraid. No specific location, no details of the circumstances and no date of discovery. [See update below]
There is a police reference number (21000458355) to quote if anyone has any information that could help the police investigation. Please call 101 if you can help.
UPDATE 8th July 2021: Thanks to PC Dewi Evans of the Rural Crime Team for pointing out the following posting on the Rural Crime Team’s Facebook page. For the benefit of those not on Facebook, here’s what it says:
The Rural Crime Team has launched an investigation into the poisoning of a red kite, found dead in the Ceiriog Valley. The bird of prey, protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, was found deceased on February 27th earlier this year and attended to by RSPB Investigations Team. Toxicology tests carried out by the Welsh Government have since revealed the bird tested positive for Bendiocarb – a highly toxic insecticide. Officers believe the incident was potentially a deliberate act and are asking anyone with information to get in touch. It comes following several similar incidents reported in the area over the past three years, with a number of ravens and crows also found to have been poisoned using another substance .PC Dewi Evans, North Wales Police Rural Crime Team manager said: “We suspect the red kite died as a result of the unlawful use of poison and as a result, we have launched an investigation into the incident. “The deliberate poisoning of a bird brings a serious risk to humans and other animals and is hugely irresponsible. “We are currently looking into a potential motive for this incident and ask members of the public who have information to get in touch.” Anybody with information is asked to contact officers at the North Wales Police Rural Crime Team via the website or by calling 101, quoting reference number 21000458355. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
ENDS
UPDATE 8th October 2021: Shotguns & dead bird of prey seized during multi-agency raid in Wales (here)
Raptor Persecution UK 
Apart from the fact that someone decided to get a toxicology report done I’m not sure you could get a better case of crap “policing”.
A red kite was found at some point in the past in a vague area and may have been deliberately poisoned.
Anyone got any clues?
Yes Neilus, is it not simply appalling.
Sounds like it is straight out of the INSPECTOR CLUESEAU school of police work.
It has to make one wonder what other areas of policing are subject to setting low standards and failing to achieve them.
It has to be said that North Wales Police are more xxxxx than Inspector Clueseau. I suspect this was discovered on one of the estates in that area. The Masonic handshake will be an influence and no doubt the perpetrator will never be brought to justice. How on earth do they expect people to provide information when they have released so little of the details? Have they tried to establish the source of the Bendiocarb?
Blame Theresa May she decimated the police when home secretary. They chase their tales like everyone else. The government say the police are being increased by 20,000 which is what they were axed by. So no increase in reality.
What you say is true. But it doesn’t excuse failing to provide a date and precise location for a crime in a public appeal, does it?
Not convinced at all. It’s July now, the trail went cold weeks ago. If this was publicised in march someone might have remembered something. N W Police have a terrible reputation for being soft on wildlife crime. Just ask the local sabs
Oops, should be a reply to Sargeant Evans. No obvious way to delete
Dear Raptor Persecution UK, Twitter has a 240 character limit. Please see our separate press release on FB with further details that you might have missed (https://m.facebook.com/NWPRuralCrime/videos/971198707037397/). A/Police Sergeant Dewi Evans, North Wales Police Rural Crime Team
[Ed: Thanks, Dewi. This information has been added to the blog]
UPDATE, first line, he is a Sergeant.
Some of the comments are perhaps a bit unfair to North Wales Police. A quick Google search indicates this press release has gone out on various local media news outlets. So hopefully this witness appeal will reach the wider public. The police can not control which stories the media wish to publish- and at least North Wales Police are making an effort to investigate this crime, in what appears to be a series of linked crimes.
We also don’t know how long North Wales Police have had to wait for the results of the tests carried out on the Kite.
Have they only just received the information this bird died as a result of illegal poisoning?
But, I agree with the comments that months after the bird was found, is far too long to start the witness appeal process, and if the bird was found in suspicious circumstances, then this press release should be made immediately after the event.
However, I expect that as with many rural communities, North Wales Police will face that “rural wall of silence”, which enables the perpetrators to hide behind the reluctance of those who might have information to come forward due to fear of repercussions within the community.
This is where the police do need to re think their strategy when it comes to witness appeals; and how to reach those who might have information helpful to the enquiry.
One solution might be for rural officers to visit schools and give talks to children on wildlife, particularly primary school. Most young children have a natural affinity for wildlife -so to get them interested in raptors might help break that wall of silence, and a communities reluctance to help the police, and potentially unlock information as to who might be behind these crimes.
People have become very dissatisfied with the police. It has become par for the course that appeals for help are not made until months after a dead raptor is found. Also the location given is often vague.
Not only is that clearly of little use, but it generates mistrust and a view that there is no real attempt being made to catch the culprits.
It is not necessary to await toxicology results before launching an appeal for help. Simply stating that the circumstances of the bird’s death are suspiciously like poisoning and that test results are awaited, but anyone who was in the vicinity and who may have information etc. should contact the police.
I have known of occurrences locally where pet animals have been poisoned, shot with air weapons or otherwise wilfully injured. It never takes months to launch an appeal. It appears in the next edition of the local rag.
In the case of the red kite that is the main subject of this case then it is very regrettable if the local police have been criticised unjustly. However, the police (in general) are the authors of their own misfortune because their performance has left a lot to be desired.
Why anyone would want to kill a Red Kite in this area baffles me. It would not be Pigeon fanciers and it doesn’t look as this is a Grouse shoot area. Possibly Sheep farmers but I would not have thought so as they are no danger to sheep. Yet the poison used is normally only used by those well informed of its effectiveness and can get their hands on a supply. A totally premeditated crime.
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My critical comments (the main one having been redacted) concerning North Wales Police are wholly justified. Having lived in North Wales for very many years I can speak with a considerable amount of knowledge about this force. Out of interest they never act in relation to fox hunting which continues to be conducted by a number of hunts in North Wales.
[Ed: Frances – making comparisons between North Wales Police and the Gestapo are not ‘wholly justified’ and hence why your comment was redacted]
This will be something for them to think about: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/red_kite_poisoned_in_the_vicinit#incoming-1834361
Update:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/red_kite_poisoned_in_the_vicinit#incoming-1839079
This comes as no surprise.