RSPB offer highest ever reward after rare birds of prey shot dead in Suffolk
Birds of prey are protected by law - and harming them can lead to a prison sentence
The RSPB is offering its highest ever rewards - £5000 - for information about whoever was responsible for the death of five birds of prey in West Suffolk.
The birds, which have been identified as rare Goshawks, were discovered on Monday 16 January at the edge of Kings Forest.
They were reported to Suffolk Police, who x-rayed the birds as part of their investigation and found all five birds to contain multiple pieces of shot.
All birds of prey are protected by law, and to kill or injure one could result in jail and/or an unlimited fine.
The RSPB says it's now working with Suffolk Police to identify who's responsible, and has offered a reward of £5,000 to anyone who comes forward with information which leads to a conviction.
This is the highest amount ever offered by the conservation charity, which has described the incident as ‘utterly despicable.’
Mark Thomas, the RSPB’s Head of Investigations UK, said: “Anyone who values the natural world and abhors those who actively and criminally look to destroy it will feel as outraged as we do about this utterly despicable incident. We are calling on anyone who has information to come forward to the police.”
Sergeant Brian Calver from Suffolk Police said: “This is a serious wildlife crime against an amazing schedule one bird of prey that was once driven to extinction in Britain. There is no place for such activity in modern times. Whoever is responsible for this needs to be brought to justice and I’d urge anybody with any information whatsoever to let us know.”