That's Amazing! Animal of the Week: the Hen Harrier

31 Oct 2007It's known as England's most persecuted bird of prey, and no wonder, with Prince Harry denying shooting them on Sandringham (even though he and his friend were the only people known to have been out shooting on the estate at the time) and French photographers tormenting them to get some good footage for YouTube.

There are estimated to be only about 20 breeding pairs in England. A taste for grouse makes it "the enemy of gamekeepers" and

Some conservationists claim there is an unspoken expectation on many hunting estates that gamekeepers will kill any bird or animal which preys on grouse, or risk losing their jobs.Source: BBC

In related news, it's nice to see the foreign press taking an interest in our beloved royals... I can't understand what this story on Viscount Linley is about, though. It doesn't seem to have been covered by our papers so can't be anything major, I suppose.

First image credit: Walter Siegmund (via Wikipedia)