Four chicks, three Golden Polver and one Curlew were set free into their natural habitat on Tuesday, August 4 after they were suspected of being illegally snatched away from their nests and mothers in Yorkshire. The birds were set fet in Hull countryside after eggs were found at a property in Huddersfield which were believed to have been stolen.
Officers were alerted to reports of a man acting suspiciously, who they suspected had taken eggs from wild birds’ nests across Yorkshire and Derbyshire, earlier this year. The chicks were released into the wild on Tuesday, August 4. Gamekeepers in Snailsdon, Ladycross and Woodhead Estates reported to South Yorkshire Police that the alleged thief was on their land again on April 30.
A 63-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of offences under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which legally protects the nests and eggs of wild birds.
Officers seized over 200 eggs alongside, associated equipment, books and taxidermy when searching the man’s property.
Police also recovered an incubator that contained seven unhatched eggs.Sheffield Rural and Wildlife Crime Officer PC Elizabeth Wilson removed the eggs and securely transported them to an incubator for safety.She said: “We are committed to the robust prosecution of those who commit offences against protected wildlife and urge anyone with concerns to report them via 101.” The 63 year-old man remains released under investigation while further enquiries between South Yorkshire Police, the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and RSPB continue.
Source: The Star
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