Video of ‘game’ birds dumped in cavern probed
DISTURBING video which appears to show dozens of dead “game” birds being dumped into a natural cavern on a recently established shooting estate is being investigated by Wales’ environmental watchdog
Footage was captured at the Dyfi Falls beauty spot near Machynlleth, Powys, by professional investigators from leading animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports, which campaigns to end commercial game shooting.
The incident has been reported to Natural Resources Wales and police amid strong concerns dead pheasants and partridges will contaminate water flowing into the nearby River Llyfnant, and potentially pose a risk to human life.
Chris Luffingham, director of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “The film shows bird after bird being casually tossed into the cavern, next to one of Wales’ most sensitive and protected pieces of land because of its range, quality and variety of habitats, species and geological features.
“This scandalous incident shows a blatant disregard by the shooting industry for this environment.
“More than 61 million nonnative pheasants and partridges are released into the British countryside every year only for them to be cruelly blasted out of the sky. That these birds are just being dumped shows there is no other reason for them to be shot other than for so-called ‘sport’.”
Defra’s submission to the judicial review of the release of game birds near protected sites in England states: “The exact number of game birds, either being reared or in the wild is unknown. There is general consensus across government and the industry of the numbers released.
“The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust calculate, based on their long-running National Gamebag Census, that the numbers released in the UK in 2018 were 61.2 million; 49.5 million pheasants and 11.7 million partridges (both figures with a 95% confidence rating).”
The two-minute video taken on a trail camera set up by the natural cavern appears to show a man dumping at least 45 dead pheasants and partridges into the cavern, with more loaded up on a quad bike ready for disposal.
Mr Luffingham added: “This isn’t a one-off. Earlier this year our investigators watched as a man threw dead birds into the cavern.
“The Dyfi Falls Shoot, run by Cambrian Birds, will have serious questions to answer about the potential pollution to this important site [run by them].”
The cavern is located next to the Pencreigiau’r Llan Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the Nant Y Gog stream which flows into the river Llyfnant.
The Dyfi Falls shooting estate is managed by Cambrian Birds in the Cwm Rhaeadr, which translates as Valley of the Waterfall.
It only opened in October 2020 and has already been at the centre of local controversy because of the impact on the environment due to the high density of pheasants and partridges released onto the site and the ugly tracks gouged by the shoot across the valley.
Ann Weedy, Natural Resources Wales’ operations manager for mid Wales said: “We are aware of the reported incident and our investigation into the matter is ongoing.
“We cannot comment further at this stage.”
The League Against Cruel Sports is campaigning in Wales for a ban on the manufacture, sale, possession and use of snares – wire traps used by gamekeepers – and for a ban on the caged breeding of game birds.
Mr Luffingham said: “We’ve seen in recent years reports of game birds being dumped, burnt or buried but never before have we seen a shoot show such a callous indifference to the environment.
“We look forward to working closely with the Welsh Government to help eliminate the animal cruelty and poor environmental practices which are endemic to the shooting industry.”
Cambrian Birds has a registered office in Cheltenham.
Prior to publication the Western Mail put these allegations to the company that the dumping of game birds was occuring on land they managed. We asked them, based upon the footage, if they could provide information as to who the man seen in the video was and whether he worked for or was associated with Cambrian Birds. We have not received a response.