Scottish raven cull ‘has been a success’

A CONTROVERSIAL cull of ravens that was attacked by Chris Packham, the BBC presenter, is showing signs of success, according to land managers.

Ordered in April in rural Perthshire to protect endangered birds such as curlews, the cull prompted an aggressive backlash including death threats against an environmental chief.

However, gamekeepers at one estate have now reported the beginning of a resurgence in chick numbers since the nearby ravens were targeted.

Curlews are classed as one of the UK’S most urgent conservation priorities, with breeding populations halving over the last 15 years.

The licence by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) allowed 69 ravens to be killed in the first year, a figure that will be reviewed annually.

More than 100,000 people signed a petition against the cull and the policy was condemned by Mr Packham and RSPB Scotland. A man was also arrested and issued a formal harassment warning after sending death threats to the SNH chairman.

But Ronnie Kippen, a gamekeeper whose Strathbraan estate falls within the licensed area said: “There is a definite upsurge this year in the waders. We have barely seen a pair of curlews without chicks.

“The ravens have got clever, which we anticipated, plus they have not been able to build up enough in numbers to cause damage.

“That was the problem last year – ravens coming in and hammering the chicks on the floor of the glen.”

While wading bird numbers have plummeted in the UK, raven numbers have doubled since 1994.

A spokesman for the RSPB Scotland said it was awaiting the SNH’S formal review into the cull and described anecdotal evidence suggesting the policy has been a success as “meaningless”.