Gamekeeper fined for leaving buzzard to starve to death in crow trap

Buzzard: The dead bird was found in a crow trap.© STV

A gamekeeper on a Perthshire estate has been fined after he failed to check a crow cage leading to the death of a buzzard.

Jonathan Graham, 30, failed to carry out a daily inspection of a crow cage trap he was using between September 1, 2010 and February 28, 2011 at the Glen Lyon Estate in Foss, Pitlochry.

As a result, a buzzard starved to death after becoming caught in the trap.

Graham admitted at Perth Sheriff Court on Wednesday of failing to inspect the trap every 24 hours in contravention of section 5(1)(b) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

He was fined £450, reduced from £500 to reflect his guilty plea.

Craig Harris, head of the Crown Office's wildlife and environmental crime unit, said: "Jonathan Graham's failure to inspect a crow cage trap was a gross dereliction of his duties as a gamekeeper. As a result, a buzzard starved to death after becoming caught in the trap. The importance of protecting Scotland's wildlife, including our wild birds, cannot be understated.

"Our wildlife laws exist for this very purpose. I hope this case will discourage others from acting in this way."

A hillwalker reported finding the carcass of the bird in the trap on February 27 last year. Police officers, including a Wildlife Crime Officer, attended at the scene the next day and found the remains of the bird inside the crow trap, which was later confirmed to be a buzzard.

People who read this story also read