A REWARD of £1,000 is being offered after a rare and protected peregrine falcon was shot and injured near Ipplepen.
Outraged officials at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have put up the sum which will be paid if the offender is arrested and convicted.
Police have been drafted in to investigate the crime which left the bird of prey with an airgun pellet wound to its wing which caused fractures.
Devon and Cornwall’s Police Wildlife Crime Officer Josh Marshall is appealing to anyone with information to contact officers working on the case.
He said this afternoon: ‘These types of incidents are incredibly hard to investigate as very often there are no witnesses or lines of inquiry.
‘It is clear that someone in the local community will hold the key to what has taken place.’
He added: ‘The peregrine falcon will have been shot by someone having a clear motive to destroy this rare bird of prey.
‘The community in this area needs to be aware of this incident and every effort should be made to bring the offender to justice.
‘Residents of Ipplepen are extremely privileged to have such magnificent birds on their doorstep.
‘I am calling on them to come forward and report to me any concerns or suspicions they have about those who may be responsible for such an act.’
RSPB South West spokesman Tony Whitehead said: ‘We know that Devon has long been a bird of prey persecution black spot - and the area where these birds were found has seen five such incidents over the past 25 years alone. We need to stop this.’
He added: ‘Whatever drives a person to do this, it’s important to understand that killing birds of prey is not only barbaric, it is also against the law.
‘This makes the perpetrators, however they seek to justify their behaviour, no more than common criminals and we’d expect them to be treated as such.’
The bird of prey was found at a coastal location in South Devon on August 23 with an injury to its wing. Examination of the bird by a local vet revealed that it had been shot with an air rifle pellet causing fractures to the wing.
There was a coded ring on the bird’s leg, placed there whilst in the nest a few weeks after hatching by a local ornithologist and British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) volunteer.
Such rings were issued by the BTO to help in monitoring the movements of peregrine falcons.
The Ipplepen shooting is the latest in a long history of bird persecutions in the Teignbridge area, which has the dubious record of being the hottest spot in Devon for attacks on birds of prey.
Confirmed poisoning incidents within the Teignbridge over the last 25 years include:
1992 - two peregrine falcons found dead along with poisoned bait.
2000 - peregrine falcon located dead, poisoned.
2005 - peregrine falcon poisoned with bait found.
2005 - live pigeon covered in poison left as bait for peregrine falcons.
2011 - peregrine falcon poisoned.
Anyone with information which might help police with their investigations should contact [email protected] or call 101, quoting reference CR/069253/16
Information can also be passed on anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.