Mary, the Hen Harrier from the Isle of Man who travelled to Ireland, where she was killed

BirdWatch Ireland, Ireland’s largest conservation charity, is utterly appalled by the illegal killing of yet another protected bird of prey in Ireland. The victim this time was a female Hen Harrier called Mary, who hatched in the summer of 2019 from a nest on the Isle of Man and met her tragic end in a field in Drumcondra, Co. Meath. She was fitted with a tracking device, which Manx BirdLife and the RSPB, our UK BirdLife International partner, had been using to monitor her movements and survival.
There was great excitement when the tracking data revealed that Mary had flown westwards from the Isle of Man to Co. Meath. Unfortunately, on 2nd November the data from her tracking device revealed that she had died suddenly. A National Parks and Wildlife Service investigation revealed that she had been illegally poisoned: a dead pigeon, which had been laced with the banned toxin Carbofuran, dangerous to animals and humans, was found at the scene which was on lands managed for shooting, along with poisoned chunks of meat. Pieces of poisoned meat were also found in Mary’s body, proving that she had eaten some of the bait and succumbed. The use both of Carbofuran and of meat bait, poisoned or not, are serious criminal offences.

[@carolerichardson8227]

Every effort has ro be made to. Catch the culprit the land owners always get off scott free. When is the law going to take a firm stand. I am so sick of this.

[@graceomalley4]

What kind of mind would imagine doing this to such a magnificent and utterly beautiful creature? Xx

[@deirdrecollins3987]

What a shame. I have seen what I think are birds of prey about 6 times in the last 2-3 years down here in Co Cork. Such a thrill to see these magnificent birds.

[@legrognard6699]

What a loss.

[@DUBaviator]

Hopefully some is caught for this, so enraging that this is still happening.