Raven nest 'disappears' from park
A rare raven's nest has disappeared from a National Trust property, a
police spokesman said.
The nest, first discovered four years ago, was situated in Belton
Park, near Grantham, Lincoln****re.
The nest was believed to be the first raven's nest in the county for
more than 300 years.
Pc Nigel Lound said: "The raven is a scarce bird in Lincoln****re and
one that we were hoping would once again, become established in the
county."
Tower residents
He said the nest was "a substantial structure" that was taken
illegally in the past six weeks and an investigation is under way to
determine what happened.
Matthew Capper of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
said ravens are very scarce in the East Midlands, including
Lincoln****re, but are slowly starting to move into Derby****re,
especially the Peak District.
He said ravens are still the targets of attacks by people who shoot or
poison them or destroy their nests.
Pc Lound said: "We have no firm information on who is responsible for
removing the raven's nest and why, but we would like to speak to
anyone who believes they can shed some light on this.
"We're particularly keen to hear from anyone who lives locally or has
visited the National Trust site and witnessed suspicious activity."
All wild birds, their eggs and nests are protected by the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981 and anyone convicted under the act faces a fine
of up to £5,000 or six month's imprisonment.
The RSPB estimates there are 12,900 breeding pairs of ravens in the
UK.
Ravens are still kept at the Tower of London by a royal decree issued
by Charles II.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/lincoln****re/7414452.stm
Published: 2008/05/22 10:32:54 GMT
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