The killing of wild animals in Britain

Abstract

Each year very large numbers of wild mammals and birds are killed by man. Some of this killing is for sport; some is for pest control; and some is accidental. A report based on an investigation carried out by Ν C Fox on behalf of the Hawk Board - a component body of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee of the Department of Environment - into the nature and extent of animal suffering caused by current methods of pest control and field sports, has now been published. The data presented have been derived from the literature and contributions from, and extensive consultations with professional specialists. Some fascinating if unusual ‘facts’ are put forward: humans driving cars probably kill up to 220 million vertebrates each year; domestic cats probably account for some 210 million more. These figures are in contrast to the small number of animals taken by falconers (c 60,000) and hunts (c 35,000 foxes, hares or deer). It is also argued that the use of gazehounds (ie greyhounds, lurchers, whippets) and raptors is probably the most humane method of killing wild animals in that the catch-to-kill time is short, and the prey are either caught and quickly killed or they escape largely uninjured.