Press release from RSPB, 9 June 2025:
ANOTHER SHOT RAVEN, THE LATEST VICTIM IN THE PEAK DISTRICT NATIONAL PARK
- In February 2025 a Raven was found shot near Bradfield, South Yorkshire, following a similar incident in the same area 6 months earlier.
- This incident is the latest in a series of confirmed persecution incidents involving protected birds in this area of the Peak District National Park in recent years.
In August 2024, a Raven was found shot dead near Agden Side Road, Bradfield – within the Peak District National Park. Although South Yorkshire Police appealed for the public’s help, no one has been charged in connection with the offence. [RPUK comment: it took South Yorkshire Police 3.5 months to issue an appeal for information about this illegal shooting – see here].
We can now reveal that six months later, on 2 February 2025, another dead Raven was discovered by a member of the public – less than three kilometres away from the location of the first incident.
An x-ray revealed several pieces of shot embedded in the Raven’s body. Post-mortem analysis confirmed that it had been shot with a shotgun, and died instantly, or shortly after being shot. The RSPB Investigations team reported the crime to South Yorkshire Police and assisted with the investigation, but again no one has been identified or charged in connection with the incident.
Despite it being illegal to intentionally kill, injure or take a wild bird in the UK, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Ravens and bird of prey species are being illegally targeted and killed in many upland areas of the UK.
Sadly, there is a long history of incidents involving the illegal killing of protected bird species in the Peak District National Park, including birds of prey and Ravens. In addition to the two shot Ravens, in the last five years (2020-2024) 17 illegal persecution incidents involving 17 individual birds of prey, and a dog, have been recorded in the National Park. These confirmed incidents have involved a number of bird of prey species being shot trapped and poisoned, including Buzzards and Short-eared Owls, and also rare and recovering species, such as Peregrine Falcons, Goshawks and a Hen Harrier. These figures are likely to represent the tip of the iceberg as only a fraction of these incidents are detected and reported – with the true figure likely being significantly higher.
In February 2022, a satellite-tagged male Hen Harrier (a red-listed species), disappeared after roosting on a grouse moor in the Peak District National Park. The satellite tag – which the police confirmed had been deliberately cut off – was found three days later, suggesting the bird was shot and the tag removed and discarded away from the location. This incident would have gone undetected, if the Hen Harrier had not been satellite tagged.
See the table below for more information relating to these crimes. All incidents were reported to the police, but no one has been identified or charged in connection with any of these crimes.
Tom Grose, RSPB Investigations Officer, said: “The ‘Peak District National Park’ – a place many of us visit to enjoy nature – is still a notorious hotspot for the illegal killing of birds of prey and Ravens. These dramatic, upland landscapes should be safe havens for protected species, but time and again we see evidence of serious wildlife crimes. Tragically, what we uncover is likely just the tip of the iceberg. In areas this vast and isolated, many more incidents will go undetected.”
Phil Mulligan, Chief Executive for the Peak District National Park Authority, said: “Extensive work to restore areas of degraded moorland in the Peak District National Park means the moors are in a better state than they have been for the last 200 years. However, birds of prey, an essential part of the ecosystem, are conspicuously absent or under-represented in many parts of the Peak District. Their illegal killing is a blight on these internationally important moors and deprives people of the spectacular wildlife experiences they provide. The National Park Authority unequivocally condemns wildlife crime and calls on landowners and managers to help prevent the actions of a small number of people from tarnishing the reputation of the majority“.
Many of these incidents have taken place on land managed for grouse shooting and the two Ravens were found very close to grouse moorland, although it is unknown who may have shot them.
The RSPB is urging the UK Government to introduce a licensing scheme in England for grouse shooting (as is now law in Scotland) and gamebird shooting. If criminal activity – such as the killing of protected birds is detected on an estate, then this licence could be revoked, which could be a powerful deterrent.
If you have any information relating to either of these incidents or any other crimes involving the illegal killing or targeting of birds of prey, please contact South Yorkshire Police and the RSPB Investigations team. Call the Police on 101 and fill in the RSPB’s online reporting form: www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/wild-bird-crime-report-form If you have information about anyone killing Ravens or birds of prey which you wish to report anonymously, please call the RSPB’s confidential Raptor Crime Hotline on 0300 999 0101.
ENDS
Peak District National Park boundary.
It took the police 3.5 months to issue an appeal for information about the Raven was found shot in August 2024. This time, it’s been left to the RSPB to issue a press release, four months after the latest Raven was found shot in February 2025. It’s notable that this press release doesn’t include any comment or quote from South Yorkshire Police.
The RSPB press release includes this line:
‘…the two Ravens were found very close to grouse moorland, although it is unknown who may have shot them‘.
Yep, it’s a tricky one, that. Whoever could it have been?
Meanwhile, the issue of banning driven grouse shooting will return to Westminster for another debate on 30 June 2025. The continued illegal shooting, trapping and poisoning of birds of prey (Ravens are not birds of prey but are considered by many to be ‘honorary raptors’ given their similar ecological niche) is one of the core reasons why we continue to call for a ban.
Raptor Persecution UK 
I blame the courts – these criminals know well that there will be little or no consequences for their actions even if a prosecution in brough
again, we have birds being SHOT with a 12 bore, or shotgun, its not going to be any member of the public carrying a shotgun around the peak district, so it leaves one culprit,
As per all the persecution cases across Britain Scotland, Ireland, its the people who do cart a shotgun around the countryside, I am dam sure if I was plodding around grouse moors carrying a shotgun someone would say something, and I would be in trouble, but gamekeepers, and wardens alike do it, and nothing is said its time these barbaric sport got their cards punched, its no longer acceptable to kill wildlife, and no longer accepted to kill protected birds, but it is still happening, in large numbers.
Is it just me or can everyone else see the numbers stacking up and pointing to one group of people responsible for all the killings..?
After multiple years of procrastination and dithering regarding protected species being killed willy nilly, its time to end it all, ban all hunting, shooting, and all the other old fashioned, barbaric sports as they clearly are not capable of governing themselves, or controlling those involved with the industry, it can not be an outside entity, especially as these birds are being shot with a shotgun, in all my times walking in the countryside I have never seen anyone walking about with a shotgun in their possession, and its prety obvious, if i did i would have called the police.
There have been many years go by, since the 1980s where these people have had enough time to learn the laws, and understand the laws, and also learn how to identify the multitude of different birds on the protected lists, and also learn which birds are on the red lists, and most importantly learn how to put the gun away, and leave it there, I am sick and tired of hearing about wildlife being shot, and killed by game industry representatives, like I have already established, it cant be anyone other than the game industry, because shotguns are being used, along with traps, poison, bait traps, snares, etc, and I would like to think the game industry would spot these and report, and remove such things if they had not set them up.
It’s time we had a blanket ban of guns, and all hunting, shooting estates, the treat of having a licence revoked for a little while is not much of a deterrent, we can see this from the new rules in Scotland, it is still happening, it is more than clear that even the threat of this law coming to peak district, and Yorkshire, and other areas of Britain with shooting estates, that the shooting of wildlife has not stopped, or slowed down, and, along with this, we still are not getting the convictions necessary to stop the criminals from shooting wildlife, or killing wildlife.
Personally I have been watching the so called wildlife protection services over a number of years, and nothing has happened positively, just increased numbers of crimes going unpunished, the natural England, and defra have just added to the deaths with crazy ideas, like brood meddling, why on earth was this even considered?, oh I know, its because the board of directors of natural England, and defra have contacts within the shooting industry, and are also land owners, and estate owners, conflict of interest anyone?, it was a ruling made to help them control hen harrier numbers, and locations, its a bit like giving weapons to haters of illegal immigrants, to control their numbers..
the bodies in charge of rural countryside should be completely independent of the shooting industry, the rural police should be given more powers, and more officers should be employed, and also they should be given the tools to make their job easier, including drones, and spy cameras, all reports should be followed up, all crimes committed on or near shooting estates should result in restrictions being placed on the estate, and if found guilty, the estate should be banned from holding a shoot ever again.
The laws needs to be updated, given more priority, I would slo go as far as to say that any crime against wildlife on an estate should stop the estate from functioning during the investigation, the law needs to be strong enough to stop all activity until such times as a charge is made, or they are cleared, any estate with a history of criminal activity should be watched more closely, and any conviction, should result in instant revocation of all licences, on a permanent basis.
I am not against the shooting industry, despite how it may look, or sound, but I am against the crimes related to the industry, and all the deaths to protect the game birds which are released in their thousands each year only to be shot, when you think about it, its mad, they are killing wildlife to protect a non native species from nature so they can shoot them instead, and all just for fun, and bragging rights, and there is never any mention of all the millions of game birds that have been lucky enough to escape the gun over the years, and have basically had a negative impact on our native birds, and wildlife, the whole industry cares not a hoot for the damage it causes, nor do they care about the effects on wildlife.
Make them pay for the crimes, damage, and make them leave the land alone, but more importantly, LEAVE WILDLIFE ALONE…
I think you’ve said it all, Brion – well done.
“I am not against the shooting industry…”
I am. Toxic at every level.
Sir David Attenborough says hardly a word:-(
Sorry, I missed that about the shooting industry – of course, we in AIA are opposed to it as well.
Well, if you are a keeper who must wipe out all Carrion Crows prior to nesting season – and you must, because you MUST produce the right amount of grouse (and the right amount is in the eyes of your peers and your employers the maximum amount) then you are faced with the following dilemma –
…are you really going to work your nuts off in late winter & early spring buzzing around maintaining Larsen traps and cage traps, sitting out at crows nests and the like in hard weather…
…just to let the Ravens (in most peoples eyes just big crows anyway) in to make merry and multiply to the point where all of your work killing carrion crows is meaningless in comparison to the “damage” done to the grouse by Ravens?
Not likely, at least for most keepers on most estates.
I spent 10 years living in the Peak district, just south of Kinder Scout, working as an outdoor pursuits instructor. This means I spent a huge amount of time in the outdoors and in 10 years 1 buzzard was the only raptor I can remember seeing, plus a lot of what looked liked bird excrement on one rocky outcrop indicating there may well of been a nest there. Without illegal persecution I’m sure raptor sightings would of been far more common, possibly fortnightly or monthly. I know that the National Trust, who own most of Kinder Scout, have changed their management policy, especially with regards to driven grouse shooting, since I moved away from the area I wonder if raptor sightings are now more common.
Well said Brion and others you’ve very smartly covered it all I agree with everything you said. Just come back from France unbelievable birds of prey in abundance buzzards black kites all birds no grouse shooting of course and nothing to persecute them. Ban murdering grouse moors shooting is outdated and offensive.