Pure Poison: Shropshire Gamekeeper Caught Using Toxic Bait

In 2022, a gamekeeper in Berrington near Shrewsbury was caught on camera placing poison-laced pheasant carcasses near a release pen. 

Poison bait is used illegally to target birds of prey, however, poisons left out in the open are non-discriminatory and can be eaten by any wildlife that may scavenge, this could be red kites, buzzards, owl species, foxes, even hedgehogs, badgers, otters, stoats, polecats, pine martens, and corvids. There have even been cases of domestic dogs and cats falling victim to poisoned bait.

After discovering decapitated pheasant carcasses next to the pheasant pen that had been slit open and smeared with poison powder, activists took them and sent them for testing.

Warning: Graphic Image

Poison testing was carried out by the Wildlife Investigation Service at Natural England, and reported to West Mercia Police for investigation.

Cameras were then placed by the Covert Film Unit to catch the cruel gamekeeper in the act to help support the evidence already gathered.

The footage passed onto the HSA, showed not only sick and dying birds in the enclosure (a worry itself with bird flu present) seemingly being ignored by the keeper despite showing signs of avian flu. It also showed him arriving, often brandishing a firearm, and taking dead birds away only to return later and drop them out, part butchered and heavily laced with poison.

The gamekeeper’s house was raided by the authorities, and despite poisonous substances being found, there was insufficient evidence to prove these were the same substances found on the bird carcasses. Sadly this meant there was no chance of a conviction in this case. This does mean that we are now able to share this footage with you to highlight the grim reality of the shooting industry.

There is a history of illegal bird of prey persecution by the gamekeeping industry in the UK which further highlights the unnecessary and often illegal killing of native wildlife for the rearing and release of tens of millions of non-native game birds to then be shot for pleasure and profit by a small minority of blood sport enthusiasts.

This type of thing needs to stop. Please support the HSA who continue to have feet on the ground to stop and expose the murderous few who ruin your countryside for their greed.