Protected bird put down as illegal hunting goes on

A juvenile common kestrel had to be put down yesterday after its wings were irreparably injured by gunshot, becoming the latest victim of illegal hunting which carries on at this time of the year, even though at lower levels.

The bird, protected throughout the EU, was brought to BirdLife's offices yesterday morning. It was taken to a vet who decided to put it down after taking an x-ray of the bird, which revealed that one of its wing joints had been shattered by lead pellets.

BirdLife said it had received more than 30 protected species of illegally gunned down birds this autumn.

Just this week, on Tuesday, a black-headed gull was brought in similarly suffering from shotgun wounds, the conservation group said.

BLM conservation manager André Raine said the bird had been brought in by a man who said he was a former hunter.

"In any other country, no self-respecting hunter would be so cowardly as to shoot at a seagull, yet here in Malta now that the migration is over, some hunters are shooting at anything that has the misfortune to fly past them," he added.

This latest negative incident, BirdLife said, follows hot on the heels of positive news coming from Cyprus, where two men were arrested in connection with the massacre of 52 threatened Red-footed Falcons.

The accused were charged with the deliberate killing of protected birds and unlawful possession of shotguns in a "no hunting" area. The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carry a penalty of up to three years imprisonment or a fine of £10,000 (€17,000), or both.