Tag: poisoning

Senedd Environment Committee asked to restrict eagle-killing poisons

Press release from Wildlife Poisoning Research UK (WPRUK), 7 September 2026:

THE KILLING MUST STOP! SENEDD ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE ASKED TO RESTRICT EAGLE-KILLING POISONS

Following on from the public outcry when it was revealed that sea eagles in Britain were being poisoned by toxic rat poisons, the research group WPRUK has called on the Senedd’s Environment Committee to push for tighter  restrictions on the use of these poisons.

Juvenile White-tailed Eagle (Photo by Pete Walkden)

Currently anyone can go into a shop or use the internet to buy amateur use poisons with no questions asked, no training required and no need to follow any safety codes.  There is also a complete lack of any meaningful investigation scheme when these poisons kill wildlife.

These toxins, known as Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides or SGARs, enter the food chain when birds of prey and other predators eat poisoned rats, the victims dying from what is called ‘secondary poisoning’, the  persistent chemicals being concentrated in rat livers.

A risk assessment in 2012 concluded that these SGAR toxins should not be used outdoors due to this secondary poisoning risk.  However, the UK Government ignored this and allowed the chemical companies to keep selling the toxins to both professional users (farmers and pest controllers) and any householder wishing to get rid of unwanted rodents.  Even more alarming, the Government relaxed the regulations on where the highest toxicity poisons could be used, allowing these to be used outdoors for the first time.  The Welsh Government followed Westminster’s lead and allowed an environmental catastrophe to unfold.

The continued unrestrained use of these chemicals was permitted on the condition that the chemical industry improved the manner in which they were used.  This was enshrined in what became known as the ‘Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme’ or RSS.  This scheme was meant to achieve a ‘significant reduction’ in poison exposure in wildlife.

There have now been numerous scientific studies investigating poison levels in wildlife.  Not one of these has found a reduction in poison exposure in any of the species studied.  Clearly the chemical industry has totally failed to protect the environment.  So far, the Welsh and Westminster Governments have taken no meaningful action to address this, while the chemical companies continue to make profits from selling the poisons.

Not only has the chemical industry failed to reduce toxins in the environment but there is now new evidence showing these levels are soaring up.  WPRUK collects data on buzzards and other wildlife in Wales and England.  In one of the biggest studies so far, it was found that during 2020 to 2024 over 60 % of buzzards tested had SGAR poison levels above the point at which the birds start to die.  Over the last 20 years, the level of exposure to one the most toxic SGARs, Brodifacoum, has soared by 1,026 %.

WPRUK is now calling for tighter controls on how these poisons are used in Wales, submitting a detailed report to the Senedd’s Environment Committee.  The group is calling for a ban on the sale of these poisons to the general public and for their use by professional users to be limited to indoor areas only, so that wildlife will not be exposed to the toxins by secondary poisoning.

In submitting the paper to the Committee, Dr Ed Blane from WPRUK said: “The killing of our threatened wildlife by these poisons has to stop and the Welsh Government now has the powers to achieve this.  So far it appears that our leaders in Cardiff have just ignored this growing environmental disaster  and are just complying with Westminster regulations despite the harm that this is doing to our wildlife in Wales.

“Politicians in London maintain that these deadly SGAR toxins are still available to anyone to buy as there are no other alternative products available to control rats.  This is simply not true as there are now other products available which do not cause this secondary damage to wildlife.  It appears that Government policy is more concerned about the profits of chemical companies than safeguarding wildlife.

“Wales has led the way in the UK with positive action to protect wildlife such as banning snares and glue traps.  Now it is time for the Welsh Government to take action to control these indiscriminate poisons.  Iconic species such as eagles must be protected from the threat of secondary poisoning, too many of these majestic birds have died already.  WPRUK is calling on the Senedd’s Environment Committee to support this campaign to safeguard our wildlife“.

ENDS

Book launch: Prelude to Murder – Revenge Killing on a Highland Estate

Former Tayside Police Wildlife Crime Officer Alan Stewart’s book, co-authored by Lindsey Hamilton, has now been published.

Prelude to Murder: Revenge Killing on a Highland Estate focuses on the trial and subsequent conviction for murder of ex-Edradynate Estate Head Gamekeeper David Campbell, who was recently sentenced to a minimum 19 years in prison for the ambush and execution of former Edradynate Estate groundsman Brian Low, whom Campbell blasted with a shotgun whilst Brian was out walking his dog.

The book also provides commentary on the many wildlife crime investigations at Edradynate Estate during Campbell’s employment, mostly centred on the illegal poisoning and shooting of protected birds of prey, for which nobody was ever convicted.

There’ll be an official book launch at 7pm on Friday 11 September 2026 at Camserney Hall, Aberfeldy, PH15 2JL where the two co-authors will be in conversation with Jim Mackintosh. Entry is free – more details here.

There’ll be another event at 7pm on Thursday 24 September 2026 at Pittenweem New Town Hall, Session Street, KY10 2QL – more details here.

Prelude to Murder is available to buy from the publisher (Thirsty Books) or a signed copy direct from Alan Stewart.

A fascinating two-part documentary about Campbell’s trial and conviction is available on BBC iPlayer for the next 11 months. Murder Trial, Death of a Dog Walker can be watched here.

Red Kite found poisoned in Cairngorms National Park: Police Scotland appeals for information

Press release from Police Scotland (31 August 2026)

APPEAL AFTER BIRD OF PREY POISONED IN ABERDEENSHIRE

Officers are appealing for information after a bird of prey was poisoned in Aberdeenshire.

On 30 June, 2026, a member of the public was walking at Morven Hill, near Dinnet when they found a dead red kite.

Following enquiries, it was established that the red kite had been poisoned.

Red Kite by Pete Walkden

Wild Crime Liaison Officer Constable Ann Ashman said: “Red kites are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and it is illegal to kill this protected species.

“Poisoning a bird or animal is not only cruel and callous, but it can harm other wildlife as well as members of the public. The use of poison in a public area is extremely dangerous and poses a significant risk to anyone who comes into contact with it.

“Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances. We would urge the public not to handle any dead animals they may find.

“I would appeal to anyone with any information about the poisoning of these birds to contact us.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 2910 of 30 June 2026. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.

ENDS

Pressure building on Defra to consider gamebird shoot licensing in England

The Guardian ran an article at the weekend about Defra’s previously stated commitment to consider gamebird shoot licensing in England (for Red Grouse, Pheasants and Red-legged Partridges), following the recent introduction of grouse shoot licensing in Scotland.

The Guardian’s angle was that game shoot licensing ‘could stop [the] poisoning of birds of prey‘.

Yes, I suppose it could, but it won’t. Grouse shoot licensing hasn’t stopped illegal raptor persecution in Scotland, and so far, despite ongoing wildlife crime, not a single grouse shooting licence has been revoked.

That’s not to imply that I think the licensing approach is pointless. I don’t think it is, in as much as I see it as an important staging period towards an outright ban. Only when the Scottish Government sees that licensing has failed will it realise that this level of regulation is unenforceable and that only leaves one remaining option.

The Guardian article contains a few inaccuracies. It claims that, ‘Currently, about 30 million pheasants are set loose each year by shooting estates for people to pay to shoot‘ – that should read 50 million (in addition to about 10 million Red-legged Partridges), but what’s a difference of 30 million between friends?

The article also claims that ‘Seven satellite-tagged hen harriers were found poisoned or shot on or near grouse moors last year‘. That should read at least 16 Hen Harriers ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances, more than likely shot, and one was found poisoned.

Regular blog readers won’t find much new in the article. The RSPB wants gamebird licensing, Defra has committed to consider the evidence for further regulation (as if it doesn’t already know!) and hold a public consultation on any proposed changes, and the Countryside Alliance is apoplectic about (a) the perceived lobbying influence of the RSPB and (b) the terrifying concept of landowners being held to account for anything.

Nevertheless, I was pleased to read this article because its important that this issue remains in the public sphere, if nothing else to put pressure on the Government to fufill its commitment to collect evidence, make policy change and open a public consultation on the inevitable downfall of gamebird shooting in its current format.

The article is available here.

White-tailed Eagle poisonings feature in Private Eye

Last month, a press release from Wildlife Poisoning Research UK (WPRUK) revealed that more White-tailed Eagles had been poisoned in Dorset, with high concentrations of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) being found in their corpses. These deaths are in addition to the high profile poisoning of an eagle in 2022 and Dorset Police’s appalling botched investigation.

WPRUK made the point that the details of these, and other poisonings, were being with withheld by Government agencies, and that the Government- approved Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme is a ‘total failure’.

I’m delighted to see that Private Eye has picked up on this story in its latest edition (thanks to the blog reader who alerted me).

Top London chef shuns Red Grouse from large “factory grouse shooting operations” where birds of prey are killed

Top London chef Richard Corrigan, who owns Corrigan’s and Bentley’s restaurant in Mayfair, says he has become more particular about where he sources Red Grouse for his menu.

Red Grouse photo by Ronnie Gilbert

In an article in The Guardian yesterday, he tells journalist Helena Horton that he now refuses to buy from large estates, and also refuses to buy from any estate that has been associated with raptor persecution.

Here are some of his quotes:

“We now insist [birds] come from small estates rather than the large shoots, where dozens are shot at a time. I am not too sure I agree with the large shoots. I would rather people shoot wild animals for the table rather than shoot for the sake of having a day out“

and

“Something that has really annoyed me is the killing of raptor birds on the estates. They are being poisoned by people on these estates. I would never buy grouse from those estates. We all know who they are“

and

“I was brought up in moorland, I am very aware of the heather and the turf, they need the wetlands to be restored to keep the moors in good shape. Some estates have taken it all a bit too far and have turned it into factory grouse shooting operations“.

I applaud Richard Corrigan’s ethical stance, although I wonder if it stretches to include birds shot with poisonous lead ammunition. It certainly doesn’t stretch to other obscenities – his menu still includes Foie gras. But we have to start somewhere, and he’s the first chef that I’m aware of who is prepared to publicly call out the grouse shooting industry. Good for him.

The Guardian article also includes quotes from Ariane Burgess MSP from the Scottish Greens, which appears to be the only mainstream political party calling for moorlands to be restored for people, wildlife and the climate, ‘not managed as a playground for bloodsports’ (see here).

Hen Harrier persecution on UK grouse moors – new research suggests only 0.5 – 10% incidents are detected

The ‘tip of the iceberg’ is a phrase often used by researchers and conservationists when describing the scale and extent of illegal raptor persecution in the UK, meaning that what is known or can be seen is only a small fraction of what is actually happening under the surface.

Killing birds of prey is an offence in the UK, and has been for over 70 years, so the people committing these crimes will often go to great lengths to hide the evidence (e.g. here), which is quite easy to do if the offender is a gamekeeper working under the cover of darkness on a privately-owned estate in a remote area with few witnesses around.

Satellite tagging has done much to help us understand the scale of these crimes in recent years, particularly on grouse moors where Golden Eagles (here) and Hen Harriers (here and here) are targeted, and now new modelling research is about to blow the lid on the whole sorry story.

If you thought that 149 dead or ‘missing’ Hen Harriers in the UK since 2018 was shocking, most of them on or close to grouse moors, it’s clear we don’t know the half of it. Prosecutions are rare, as demonstrated earlier this year when Yorkshire Dales gamekeeper Racster Dingwall became the first person ever convicted in England for Hen Harrier persecution, despite hundreds of confirmed persecution incidents recorded since the 1980s.

This male hen harrier died in 2019 after his leg was almost severed in an illegally set trap that had been placed next to his nest on a Scottish grouse moor (see here). Photo by Ruth Tingay

At a recent British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU) conference earlier this year, new research was presented suggesting that there are around 400 Hen Harrier ‘persecution events’ across different life stages (e.g. nest, adult, 1yr and 2yr old birds) and that only 0.5 – 10% are detected.

This research was presented as a poster rather than a spoken presentation, and has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, so caveats are needed at this stage but it is anticipated that the publication process is underway.

The Hen Harrier research is part of a wider PhD study, also examining ‘tip of the iceberg’ modelling scenarios for Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcons and Red Kites – species that are long known to be the victims of illegal persecution on UK grouse moors.

The research is being undertaken at the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Capetown, South Africa, as part of the research portfolio of Associate Professor Arjun Amar, well known for his studies linking the illegal persecution of raptors to driven grouse shooting in the UK, including the detrimental effects this can have at a population scale, particularly on Red Kites, Peregrines and Hen Harriers.

The research abstract submitted for the conference is as follows:

TIP OF THE ICEBERG: ESTIMATING THE TRUE EXTENT OF RAPTOR PERSECUTION ASSOCIATED WITH GROUSE SHOOTING

Arjun Amar, Koi Pillay, Rob Thomson, Steven Ewing.

Despite decades of legal protection, raptors continue to be persecuted in the UK, particularly in the uplands where red grouse shooting conflicts with raptor conservation. Detecting persecution associated with this conflict is challenging due to its illegality and the remoteness of grouse moors, meaning official crime records likely represent only the ‘tip of the iceberg,’ with many incidents remaining hidden as ‘dark figures.’ Here, we attempt to estimate the persecution levels and population data for Hen Harriers, Peregrine Falcons, Red Kites, and Golden Eagles. We then compare these estimates to recorded crime figures for the same species, period, and regions. Our findings suggest the actual scale of persecution is substantially greater than detected cases, underscoring the importance of recognising and accounting for ‘dark figures’ to avoid underestimating the severity of this threat to raptor populations.

I’m looking forward to seeing this research published in due course.

New documentary now available about Edradynate Estate gamekeeper David Campbell’s conviction for murder

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about a forthcoming BBC documentary about the recent murder trial of retired Scottish head gamekeeper David Campbell, who was convicted of shooting dead his former colleague from Edradynate Estate, Brian Low.

The BBC’s award-winning documentary series Murder Trial was given permission to film part of the police investigation and then subsequently inside the High Court during Campbell’s murder trial.

Former gamekeeper David Campbell during his murder trial. Screengrab from BBC documentary

For those of us who have followed the dozens of reports and police investigations over the years of raptor poisoning on and next to Edradynate Estate, and the failure of the authorities to hold anyone to account (sometimes justifiably due to lack of evidence, other times unbelievably in the face of apparently compelling evidence), I felt a strong sense of someone finally getting his comeuppance when the jury returned its verdict.

Campbell’s attitude during the police interview and then in the court room was chilling. The fortitude of Brian Low’s family in the face of such arrogance and appalling crime details, was remarkable.

Part one of Murder Trial: Death of a Dog Walker airs this evening at 9pm on BBC 2 Scotland but parts one and two are now available to watch on iPlayer, here.

Book review – Prelude to Murder: Revenge Killing on a Highland Sporting Estate

Earlier this year, retired Scottish gamekeeper David Campbell was found guilty of murdering his former colleague from the Edradynate Estate in Perthshire, Brian Low, in February 2024.

During a 13-day murder trial, the jury at Glasgow High Court heard that Campbell had held a ‘festering grudge’ against Mr Low and set out to ‘ambush’ and ‘execute’ him by lying in wait with a shotgun on a quiet country lane near Aberfeldy where Mr Low regularly walked his dog.

A couple of days ago I blogged about a forthcoming BBC documentary series, Murder Trial, which will feature the February 2026 trial of David Campbell (see here).

There’s also now a forthcoming book about the case, called Prelude to Murder: Revenge Killing on a Highland Sporting Estate, written by former Police Wildlife Crime Officer Alan Stewart and Lindsey Hamilton, Chief Reporter at The Courier.

The two authors are uniquely placed to provide first-hand accounts.

The book tracks the many police investigations into raptor persecution crimes at Edradynate Estate, in Perthshire, over a four-decade period that just happened to coincide with David Campbell’s employment as the Head Gamekeeper (1984-2018). Co-author Alan Stewart was involved in many of those investigations, as this notorious estate was on his patch as Police Wildlife Crime Officer for what was then Tayside Police.

Cleverly intertwined with Alan’s detailed, and frankly, chilling chronicle of events at Edradynate, is Lindsey Hamilton’s account of her involvement as a seasoned journalist, first sent to Aberfeldy to report on the police investigation into the murder of Brian Low, and then later attending Glasgow High Court to report on the trial of prime murder suspect, David Campbell.

Much has been written over the years about raptor persecution at Edradynate Estate and the failure to hold anyone to account, but this book contains more detail than I’ve seen published before. Similarly, the murder, the police investigation and the subsequent trial and conviction have also received extensive media coverage, but Lindsey’s first-hand experience brings insight and a real sense of the reaction within the local community.

If you want to know why sadistic gamekeeper David Campbell thought he could get away with murder, and why a local community had lived in fear of him for decades, this compelling account provides some answers. The warning signs were all there, in plain sight. It’s disturbing that a reign of terror was allowed to continue for so long, with such tragic consequences for Brian Low.

The book will be published in September 2026 and is available for pre-order, either directly from the publisher (ThirstyBooks) or if you want a signed copy, directly from Alan Stewart.

Note – the pre-publication flyer says the book is 284 pages, but it’s actually 184 pages.

UPDATE 6 September 2026: Book launch: Prelude to Murder – Revenge Killing on a Highland Estate (here)

Natural England forced to admit ‘Every White-tailed Eagle death in Dorset linked to rat poison’

Last week, the independent group Wildlife Poisoning Research UK (WPRUK) issued a press release confirming the poisoning of more White-tailed Eagles in Dorset, following the high profile poisoning of an eagle in 2022 and Dorset Police’s appalling botched investigation.

This young White-tailed Eagle was found dead in Dorset in 2022. It’s liver contained 7 x lethal dose of rodenticide. Photo by Dorset Police

WPRUK’s findings about further White-tailed Eagle poisonings only came to light as a result of extensive Freedom of Information requests. Dr Ed Blane, the scientist behind WPRUK and an expert in the exposure of wildlife to Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs), stated that many of the case details were still being kept secret by the Government.

He said:

“The death of these majestic birds in Dorset, and the high amounts of poison found in their livers, should cause alarm bells to start ringing across the country.  What we see now is the total failure of Government approved policy meant to protect the environment, information being withheld and our wildlife paying the price. At the same time chemical companies are making profits from selling these poisons. We have Channel 4’s ‘Dirty Business’ meeting Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’!

“What is of particular concern are the plans to introduce eagles to other areas of England and Wales without addressing this growing poisoning issue. How many of these birds will suffer a similar fate as the Dorset eagles?“.

Since last week’s press release from WPRUK, a journalist from the Dorset Echo, Richard McLaughlin, has followed up on the story and he’s forced Natural England to admit the scale of the problem. His article, published yesterday, was headlined,

‘Every white-tailed eagle death in Dorset linked to rat poison‘

The full article can be read here, and it’s reproduced below to safeguard from future broken links.

‘Every white‑tailed sea eagle found dead in Dorset since the start of England’s reintroduction programme has carried residues of a powerful rat poison, Natural England has confirmed.

The poisonings have raised fresh questions over rodenticide use in the countryside.

Since 2019, Natural England has investigated 10 suspected white-tailed eagle poisonings in England, including nine deaths and one non-fatal illness; six cases were in Dorset: five deaths and one illness.

Natural England told the Echo toxicology tests found brodifacoum in all five dead Dorset eagles “at levels considered close to significant”.

Brodifacoum is a powerful rat poison that stops blood clotting and causes severe internal bleeding, and even small amounts can kill rodents, pets, farm animals and wild birds and poison predators that eat contaminated prey.

Experts said rodenticide toxicity probably contributed by leaving the birds more vulnerable to injury, starvation or other factors, although levels were “not high enough to be identified as the primary cause of death”.

Natural England’s list records Dorset eagles found in January 2022 (cause “unspecified”), May 2024 (starvation), March 2025 (trauma) and March 2026 (electrocution), plus a non-fatal illness in February 2022.

A fifth eagle died by electrocution in November 2024; Natural England said brodifacoum was found in all five at levels “above those expected from normal background exposure”, requiring further investigation into its use.

The results “suggest brodifacoum may not have been used in accordance with legal requirements designed to protect wildlife and prevent exposure of non-target species,” Natural England said.

The birds were reintroduced to southern England from the Isle of Wight under a Natural England-licensed project.

Investigations into the Dorset cases continue, with detailed evidence reports withheld until they end.

The Health and Safety Executive will publish the final outcomes and leads pesticide enforcement and the Government’s rodenticide stewardship scheme.

Wildlife Poisoning Research UK, which obtained much of the detail through freedom of information requests, says the Dorset cases show the stewardship scheme is failing and wants tighter controls on SGARs.

Conservationists say the findings raise questions over poison controls in areas used by reintroduced species and other protected birds of prey.

In a 2022 case, Dorset Police said tests were inconclusive and could not confirm deliberate intent or identify an offender despite detecting high brodifacoum levels’.

ENDS

Natural England’s admission was also picked up by the BBC News website, here.

Both articles include statements from Natural England about the rodenticide Brodifacoum being found in all five dead WTEs in Dorset at levels “above those expected from normal background exposure”, requiring further investigation into its use.

Natural England also said the results had ‘warranted a further investigation into the source, which suggested Brodifacoum might not have been used in accordance with legal requirements designed to protect wildlife and prevent exposure of non-target species’.

Gosh, do you think so?

The BBC’s article includes the following quote from an unnamed Natural England spokesperson:

“Natural England is firmly committed to the protection and recovery of white-tailed sea eagles and remains confident that reintroduction projects in Dorset are contributing to this national conservation goal.

“The findings from Dorset and elsewhere highlight the importance of responsible pesticide use and continued vigilance to reduce risks to wildlife and safeguard the long-term recovery of white-tailed sea eagles.”

These amount to nothing more than empty platitudes.

The total failure of the Government’s Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme, designed to prevent the widespread poisoning of wildlife by rodenticides, has been well documented (e.g. see this 2024 report from Wild Justice, here).

Birds of prey are particularly affected, and there is widespread evidence that rodenticides are being misused, sometimes deliberately, at shocking levels.

The Government could take some relatively easy steps to put a stop to all this, especially with stronger regulation of Brodifacoum, but so far, nothing.

But watch this space…

UPDATE 18 August 2026: White-tailed Eagle poisonings feature in Private Eye (here)