Yesterday, the RSPB announced the shocking news that 20 hen harriers had gone ‘missing’ on grouse moors in northern England between April 2022 – April 2023, and that the mutilated corpse of a further hen harrier, named ‘Free’, had been found dead on moorland in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (see here).
Hen harrier ‘Free’ was a satellite-tagged bird that was being tracked by Natural England. Natural England has published a blog about the grisly circumstances of Free’s death. I’m reproducing it here, in case the original blog vanishes at some future point.
THE DEATH OF FREE, A NATURAL ENGLAND TAGGED HEN HARRIER
By Stephanie Bird-Halton, Director, National Delivery, Natural England (May 5th 2023).
Hen harriers are currently extremely rare in England due to illegal persecution and nest disturbance, primarily in areas associated with grouse shooting. Natural England satellite-tracks hen harriers in order to investigate patterns of dispersal and survival, and the causes of any deaths. This blog is about Free, one of our tagged hen harriers, that died due to human persecution.
Free was hatched in 2020 from a nest in Cumbria, and in April 2022 he was two years old. At around this time, he had apparently settled in an area of moorland around Birkdale, near the border of Yorkshire and Cumbria. Our staff raised concerns when Free’s tag transmitted a signal late at night on 11 April 2022, indicating he was away from his normal roosting area.
As always, the police were immediately informed. It is not always possible to accurately identify the location of a satellite tag, as they do not transmit constantly, but in this case the tag was swiftly tracked down to a rocky slope above Outhgill. Free was found dead, headless and missing a leg, but showing no other sign of being eaten or scavenged by an animal predator, and still fitted with his satellite tag.
Free’s body was recovered and sent for post-mortem examination to diagnose signs of death. Shockingly and upsettingly, the post-mortem examination concluded that Free’s leg had been torn off while he was alive, and that the cause of death was the head being twisted and pulled off while the body was held tightly. These injuries would be consistent with Free being killed by human hands. There were no other signs of damage from any animal, and Free had not been shot.
The police and National Wildlife Crime Unit were kept informed, and no information has been shared publicly while enforcement action has been ongoing. Unfortunately, the police investigation did not gather sufficient information to identify a suspect. We are appalled and upset by this horrible death of a beautiful bird, but without further evidence the police and Natural England have no basis for further action. Any requests for more details about this case, or new evidence, should be directed to Cumbria police.
What next?
We are sickened by this evidence of persecution, which remains a serious issue and needs more focus and action from the police, businesses, landowners, and game management interests. We will continue our work tracking hen harriers and will make every effort to track down tags that stop transmitting, and to support the police in their role of bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.
Natural England remains committed to working with our partners on hen harrier recovery. We are encouraged by the possibilities demonstrated by the recent increase in nesting hen harrier numbers overall, and will continue to work to turn the tide on the illegal persecution of these at-risk birds.
We regularly share the status of all our satellite-tracked Hen Harriers (every few months) on this page.
ENDS
I applaud Natural England for publishing this detailed account, but that’s as far as my applause goes.
Why has it taken 13 months, from the discovery of Free’s mutilated corpse in April 2022, for this information to be published? This isn’t the first case where this has happened either (e.g. see here).
The police have said absolutely nothing about this investigation. No statements, no public appeals for information, nothing. I don’t accept that issuing a statement or appeal, no matter how generalised, would have compromised the investigation.
Natural England’s standard response is that it won’t say anything whilst a police investigation is ongoing. I understand that position, and it’s a fair position to take during the early stages of an investigation when evidence-gathering may still be taking place. But to wait for 13 months? That’s ridiculous, and in my view is just NE hiding behind the police as a convenient excuse. And I suspect the news has only emerged now because NE knew that if it didn’t say something, someone else would.
Natural England is using public funds to pay for these satellite tags and staff time to monitor the data. It could easily have made a statement about this case, which is very much in the public interest, without compromising the police investigation.
As long as NE remained silent, it provided an opportunity for both NE and the grouse-shooting industry to flood the media last year, and this year, with propaganda designed to demonstrate that ‘real‘ and ‘great‘ progress was being made by the ludicrous hen harrier brood meddling scheme.
As for the sadistic bastard(s) who tore Free’s leg off whilst he was still alive and then held Free’s body tightly and twisted and pulled his head off (reported in the post mortem as the official cause of death), leaving his body (and sat tag) in place knowing that he’d be found by researchers, if that isn’t an intentional act of defiance and sticking up two fingers to the law then I don’t know what is.
Natural England may well be ‘sickened’ by the evidence – anybody in their right mind would be – but Natural England isn’t just ‘anybody’. It’s the statutory regulator and has a duty to protect this species. When will it accept that decades of so-called ‘partnership-working’ with the grouse shooting industry hasn’t worked, and won’t ever work as long as the criminals are allowed to keep getting away with it?
Raptor Persecution UK 
And after waiting so long, why is this released on the day of the coronation??? Maybe the best way to hide some bad news.
It was released on Friday, to be fair. Although your point about the coronation is still relevant. NE would have known this news wouldn’t get much media coverage on the eve of the coronation/bank holiday weekend.
Not sure there’s a conspiracy here – isn’t this complementary to the RSPB news release of the same day on the same subject? I assume RSPB were aiming to get coverage or why bother sending out a news story?
You’re right, Nick. The timing is down to the RSPB – they’re not blameless by any means because there are ‘missing’ hen harriers in that press release, that they’re tracking, that also should have been made public much earlier than now.
I suspect the timing of yesterday’s RSPB press release was designed to get the news out before next week, when I understand there will be another significant announcement in relation to hen harrier persecution. The timing of that announcement isn’t completely within the RSPB’s control so they’ve had to go public now on these 21 harriers, before the next announcement comes out (sorry I’m being a bit cryptic about that pending announcement but it’s under embargo).
Nevertheless, I still hold the police and NE responsible for sitting on the news of Free’s savage killing for 13 months. If the RSPB hadn’t pushed NE on it, I doubt we’d have heard about it for many more months.
Whats the benefit of having a go at the RSPB? If we’re getting to that level of polarisation in this where organisations working to the benefit of hen harriers are getting depicted as one of the bad guys, then the focus is being moved unhelpfully from who is actually the problem here: the shooting industry and government, who need to be pressed on the legislation. I hope there is going to be some pressure on the next government to deal with the root problems here.
I think it’s perfectly reasonable to call out the RSPB – I can hardly criticise one org for sitting on data and then not criticise another, no matter who they are, for doing the same thing. I’m certainly not ‘depicting the RSPB as one of the bad guys’ – as I said, without them, we wouldn’t know about most of the other missing harriers because NE hasn’t published anything yet on the harriers that are known to have gone missing in March & April this year. I think the RSPB knows me well enough, and our relationship is strong enough, for them to cope with me voicing my opinions. They know the high regard I have for their investigations work overall.
“Whats the benefit of having a go at the RSPB?”
It is simply the truth. Truth has to be non-political, otherwise we are all lost.
Having commented on the NE website in a less flattering way than another person who commented it will be interesting to see if it survives moderation. My comment was not derogatory but told the truth known to readers of this blog.
Whilst Natural England are committed to a “partnership” with the people from whose ranks these criminals are undoubtedly drawn, these atrocities will be played down so as not to upset their “partners”.
They need to be robust and timely in their responses and they need to query the legitimacy of a “partnership” that allows criminal actions to be downplayed and hidden behind supposed “successes”. The only success criterion should be the cessation of the illegal actions of those involved in the shooting industry.
“Whilst Natural England are committed to a “partnership” with the people from whose ranks these criminals are undoubtedly drawn, these atrocities will be played down so as not to upset their “partners”.”
Indeed. In fact, it has been agreed in writing (as publicised by RPUK)
From the Memorandum of Agreement – Hen Harrier Conservation Programme, signed 25th January 2022:
“5. CONTRIBUTION
5.1 BASC agrees to pay Natural England the Contribution ex VAT in consideration of
Natural England delivering the Programme.
5.2 During the first year of the Agreement, BASC shall pay the Contribution of *** £25k *** within
30 calendar days of signature of this Agreement (during 2022) to a bank account nominated
by Natural England. Thereafter the annual Contribution will be made by BASC within 30
calendar days of anniversary date of the first payment. These payments for year 2 and 3
will be made in 2023, and 2024.”
and
“12. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
12.1 BASC acknowledges that Natural England is subject to the requirements of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”) and the Environmental Information Regulations
2004 (“EIR”). Therefore, Natural England may be obliged to release documents in response
to an FOIA or EIR request including any file notes. Natural England cannot therefore
guarantee confidentiality but will *DISCUSS ANY REQUEST* with BASC and give *DUE CONSIDERATION TO ITS RESPONSES* when dealing with such a request.”
and
“SCHEDULE 1
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
2.2 Both Parties shall ensure that their respective communications solely in relation to the
Programme contain *NO DEROGATORY REMARKS ABOUT THE OTHER PARTY OR THE PROGRAMME*, nor
shall any communication contain any message that is contrary to the principles of the
Programme. ”
and
“SCHEDULE 3
Programme
The annual Programme shall consist of the following activities and payments by BASC which,
together, make up the Contribution:
1. Winter roost monitoring – £10,000 …
2. Diversionary feeding – £5,000 …
3. Southern reintroduction – £10,000… ”
So there we have it: Natural England’s ‘independence’ bought and paid for by the BASC, for a mere £25K per year!
Corruption? What corruption?
It seems the only way to catch these sadistic morons is to be proactive and be out there doing obs. I don’t think we’re going to get anywhere being passive. It would mean all those of us who have an interest in protecting our wildlife getting some training and get out there.
Certainly if I lived up north I would be willing. I’m fortunate to live in an open landscape in the southwest and regularly scan the area on the lookout for anything untoward. We just can’t sit back and let this happen. It’s that or fund professionals like LACS. The establishment clearly are in control at the moment.
What sick and twisted mentality could be responsible for such cruel and sadistic acts on a defenceless bird? You wonder how they treat other animals and humans. They are the lowest of the low life scum.
Can one of the opposition parties make a simple statement promising to ban driven shooting? Nothing will change until the Tories realise that there are no votes in defending the status quo
And the usual echo skulls on the twatter feed try to suggest that it was the victim of o Gos!
Sorry a Gos, of course.
Fkg barbaric monsters.Grouse moors need shutting down.The people are not custodians of the countryside for the nation’s people.They are just heartless thickos.
i agree
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: therefore funded by the tax payer.
So much for this government’s, and the last few at least, claims to protect our environments and its wild species.
Surely as tax payers we are entitled to be informed of such incidences far, far sooner than the 13 months it took NE to release any information, and also for them to do their job and protect these raptors far more rigorously than they are doing from such, as you rightly state, ‘sadistic bastards’.
Our police and judiciary need to do far more to put in place far heavier fines and longer prison sentences against these raptor persecutors and torturers. Rather than the obligatory slap on the wrist which clearly doesn’t work.
NE should most definitely not be working with the grouse shooting industry as it clearly isn’t working. If it ever did.
natural england oks the horrific killing of thousands and thousands of our badgers even though they are a protectes species.
‘Free’ is described as a ‘beautiful bird’ which, undoubtedly he was, but in our current crisis, nature has to be ascribed more value than being simply beautiful. Hen harriers have a valuable and important role in nature. They help to drive the micro-evolution of their prey species. They contribute to the dynamics of a healthy ecosystem. They would also contribute towards the local economy through tourism. They are a part of our natural heritage which is in itself, as important and valuable as our historic heritage such as Stonehenge and sculptures by Henry Moore. Being regarded as simply beautiful is held in contempt by some and thought of as soppy, frivolous, trivial, and therefore beneath consideration, by many others. The majority of readers to this blog know the true value of nature and it’s time we went beyond valuing nature just for its aesthetics.
full marks. its all happening to make money for the land owners and their organised shoots. GGRRRR
As an opinion, it is perfectly feasible that the leg was ripped oiff to conceal evidence of it being caught in a trap. I have come across many trapped placed in situations designed specifically to catch raptors. it would also be much easier to pull the head off a stiull living bird if it was still alive bt trapped by one leg.
Aye, what hero’s tramp our DGM’s.
Would the Hen Harrier have been caught in a ‘legal’ trap first for the culprit to have got their hands on it.
Does anyone out there agree with the impression that I am forming that the game shooting industry (especially DGM management) are “ramping up” the level of gross, atrocities where the evidence can be found without difficulty? I feel that this could be in reponse to the pressures they are under from many sectors. We have just had this dreadful Hen Harrier find and only recently the bizarre discovery of five dead Goshawks in a Thetford Forest Car Park! Yes, we have had raptor persecution for a very long time along with the killing of many so called *pest species” but we seem to be moving into a higher level of confrontation. These people carry on with an the arogance of knowing that they are Fire Proof as far as the law is concerned.
I agree. They are defying the politicians to act. Do they feel that there are those in the governing party who are sympathetic to their rotten cause? Or do they think that Labour doesn’t care, or is terrified of being seen as an instrument for class warfare by action against the shoots?
Or is it all of the above?