Dead crows have been strung up outside the home of the broadcaster and wildlife campaigner Chris Packham after he backed a legal challenge which led to the revocation of licences to kill “pest” birds.
The BBC Springwatch presenter published an image of the incident, which he said also involved damage to the gate of his New Forest home. Packham tweeted that his lawyers and Hampshire police had also been contacted.
Chris Packham
(@ChrisGPackham)This was my gate this morning (it was vandalised) @HantsPolice & lawyers have been informed . So @BASCnews @NFUtweets @CAupdates @FarmersWeekly @Gameandwildlife @NaturalEngland can I ask you to comment on whether you condone this . Serious request – replies expected . Please RT pic.twitter.com/8sVDyn4bSW
The incident came a day after Natural England announced that birds including crows, woodpigeons and jays could no longer be freely killed in England under general licences used to shoot 16 species.
Packham is a co-founder of Wild Justice, which mounted a successful challenge to the legality of the licences.
On Wednesday, Wild Justice greeted Natural England’s decision with delight, but many farmers – and some conservationists – were dismayed.
Opponents to the move included the National Farmers’ Union and the British Association for Shooting and Conservation. In his tweet about the dead crow incident, Packham asked for responses from organisations that opposed the revocation of the shooting licence.
The BASC said it condemned such behaviour but it also urged Packham to condemn the illegal behaviour of animal rights protesters.
BASC
(@BASCnews)We absolutely condemn such behaviour @ChrisGPackham. We are clear – there is no place for illegality in the countryside. Will you also condemn the illegal behaviour of people who target legitimate rural businesses, such as those who release pheasants from game farms?
Natural England said such behaviour was “never justified no matter how strongly people feel about an issue”.
Chris Packham
(@ChrisGPackham)Thank you . I hope you are having a better day than me – somehow I doubt it .
Packham has received thousands of message of support and revulsion over the incident. But at the same time a Change.org petition titled “BBC to sack Chris Packham” has been launched following the revoking of the licences, and has so far received more than 80,000 signatures.
It reads: “As an employee of the BBC, Chris Packham should remain impartial and keep his views and beliefs to himself.”
A Natural England spokesman said that the body would look to bring in “alternative measures” over the coming weeks to allow the lawful control of the shooting of the bird species to continue.
Hampshire police has been contacted for comment.
