Cairngorms kite shot to death and investigation starts

The Cairngorms National Park Authority have condemned the apparent shooting of a protected red kite in a remote corner of their territory.

The death of raptor was discovered in the Glenbuchat area of Strathdon,

Police Scotland had confirmed that the body was found in earlier this month after the shooting.

“The Park Authority condemns the illegal killing of raptors in the strongest possible terms,” the CNPA statement read.

“Raptor persecution has no place in 21st century Scotland but sadly incidents such as this are still taking place.

“It is an unacceptable crime that not only harms our raptor populations, but also damages the reputation of those land managers that act lawfully and work hard to care for wildlife.

“We are committed to working with partners to make sure the national park is a safe haven for raptors and to establish the full circumstances of this incident.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0846 of Thursday 27 February.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.”

Officers appealing for information explained that on Wednesday they had received a report of a red kite having being shot sometime between Monday, 3 and Tuesday, 4 February. A member of the public had reported the find to them.

The bird was recovered with the assistance of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) where the cause of death was not apparent at that time. Following further investigations, it has been established that the bird had been shot and police were contacted,

Detective Constable Danny Crilley of the Wildlife Crime Unit said: "Red kites are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and it is illegal to kill any protected species.

"Enquiries are ongoing and we are working with our partner agencies to establish the full circumstances of this incident.”