Today while walking through the orchard I discovered another Larsen Trap. These are cage traps in which a captured Magpie is left. This imprisoned bird (which goes crazy in there) is meant to attract other rival birds such as other Magpies or Crows, which then enter the other side of the cage, and are trapped there.
Then when someone eventually comes to inspect the traps, the captive birds are shot or otherwise killed.
This horrible Countryside practice of torturing birds (very intelligent birds) is supported widely by so-called countryside and wildlife 'lovers' in the UK. They do it "to protect song-birds" from Crows and Magpies. Buzzards, cats, and foxes will all take song-birds given the chance. So will some rival song-birds. But Crows and Magpies always get persecuted.
The cages are set up early in the day, and the captive bird is there for hours. They suffer terribly, and are usually bloody and battered in a matter of hours.
I let the Magpie go. Whenever I see one of those traps, I always will, as long as I can still walk.
I have been hated by locals for doing this, for various reasons. One of the reasons has been that I trespass in order to discover the inhumane traps. The second reason is they and I think very differently. There is no reason to torture another Being. Killing for food....that is a different thing, but this is wanton torture without compassion.
The Magpie was glad to get out of there. He/she wasn't in too bad condition, no injuries. Just shocked, and probably dehydrated and in need of food. As a bird needs its own body weight of food per day, I hope it had enough time to hunt something before night-fall.
The people who set up these traps are also the same people who go to the little Church across the orchard on Sundays and pray to Jesus Christ.....
The shocking thing is they cannot see it.
Then when someone eventually comes to inspect the traps, the captive birds are shot or otherwise killed.
This horrible Countryside practice of torturing birds (very intelligent birds) is supported widely by so-called countryside and wildlife 'lovers' in the UK. They do it "to protect song-birds" from Crows and Magpies. Buzzards, cats, and foxes will all take song-birds given the chance. So will some rival song-birds. But Crows and Magpies always get persecuted.
The cages are set up early in the day, and the captive bird is there for hours. They suffer terribly, and are usually bloody and battered in a matter of hours.
I let the Magpie go. Whenever I see one of those traps, I always will, as long as I can still walk.
I have been hated by locals for doing this, for various reasons. One of the reasons has been that I trespass in order to discover the inhumane traps. The second reason is they and I think very differently. There is no reason to torture another Being. Killing for food....that is a different thing, but this is wanton torture without compassion.
The Magpie was glad to get out of there. He/she wasn't in too bad condition, no injuries. Just shocked, and probably dehydrated and in need of food. As a bird needs its own body weight of food per day, I hope it had enough time to hunt something before night-fall.
The people who set up these traps are also the same people who go to the little Church across the orchard on Sundays and pray to Jesus Christ.....
The shocking thing is they cannot see it.
