Ninth red kite found dead as animals suffer in county
A ninth red kite has been found dead from illegal poisoning, National Parks and Wildlife Service rangers said.
The breeding female bird, which had been nesting on a farm near Redcross, Co Wicklow, was found near Brittas Bay late last year.
It is the latest red kite killed by poison in the county, while there have been similar deaths in Kildare and a suspected poisoning in Limerick since the re-introduction project began in 2007.
Dr Marc Ruddock, Red Kite project manager, said it was a demoralising loss.
"These birds are specialist scavengers, that's why they are finding these food sources which are sadly poisoned. They are designed to clean up the countryside," he said.
"These illegal actions jeopardise local biodiversity and the economically important and deserved reputation and profile natural Wicklow cherishes."
The bird, known as Blue Purple G, was one of the first young kites brought from Wales and released in July 2007. She had found a mate and was known to have successfully bred and raised three young at Redcross.
Dr Ruddock called for anyone with information on poisonings to contact local National Parks and Wildlife Service rangers and gardai to help identify and confront individuals repeatedly and illegally poisoning wildlife.
Penalties for illegally poisoning birds of prey can be up to 5,000 euro or 12 years in prison.
Park rangers said a search of land and door-to-door inquiries in Redcross and Brittas failed to find any other birds, animals or bait items.
The kite was the third poisoned with alphachloralose in the last five months, a chemical which can only legally be used in controlled dosages to kill mice.
Jimmy Deenihan, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, said irresponsible and illegal use of poison baits has killed pets as well as the birds of prey.
"I would appeal to people to act responsibly when it comes to implementing pest control measures, and they should never be at the cost of causing death to birds of prey and other wildlife," he said.
"The irresponsible use of poison baits has also killed numerous working dogs and domestic pets, in some cases where families had just taken their dog for a walk in the woods."
Meanwhile, in the Lusk area of north Dublin, the NPWS is dealing with a spate of secondary poisonings of red kites caused by the legal control or rats and mice with chemical poison.
Seven birds have died after eating legally poisoned rodents.
Foxes in Wicklow town have suffered a similar feat after rats were poisoned by a pest control company in a disused building close to De La Salle.
A resident who lives close to the building told Wicklownews.net the Foxes came into the gardens and some of the neighbours actully fed them.
It's not only wildlife that is suffering in the county as deaths of domestic animals such as dogs,cats and horses have also been reported.
Horses in Rathdrum, Tinahely and Arklow have died of hunger in the last three weeks while in Bray the W.S.P.C.A were called to Bray after a greyhound had been reported at Bray D.A.R.T station in a very bad condition.
On arrival the inspector described the dog as one of the worst cases he had ever been called to. The dog was taken straight to the vet but was found to be beyond help.
The dogs tongue had been ripped out possibly in a fight with another dog and was put to sleep.
Cats are not escaping cruelty either as it also has been reported they are being poisoned by people using anti-freeze in a number of places in the county.
