Letter: Snares are the real evil in countryside
In response to the letter "Protection Problems" by W F Kerswell in the, Shropshire Star, january 31, I would like to make a few points based on Mr Kerswell's comments.
Firstly his suggestion that animal welfare groups are an "industry" is rather odd. Industry suggests the making of money. Most, if not all animal groups are funded by the general public through donations because the majority of British people care about our wildlife.
It's interesting to note the species Mr Kerswell lists as being endangered due to predation by other British wildlife.
Most hedgehogs are killed because of roads and traffic crossing their paths. Dormice are getting rarer partly due to the destruction by man, of hedgerows, where the dormice get a lot of their food. Wild boars were accidentally re-introduced into the wild in Britain (after being extinct due to over hunting) because they escaped from farms that were breeding them for fancy meat products. And as for bees – well the jury is still out on that. It's as likely that pesticides are as responsible for the death of bees as any natural cause. And finally, hares. Despite the ban on hunting with dogs, hare coursing still takes place all over the UK.
Finally, the most horrific acts of cruelty that I have found while in the countryside, are the amount of snares that are set, to catch wildlife. Snares are not discriminate towards what type of animals that they catch.
This is something that I have experienced for myself while out walking. I have even come across domestic pets, such as cats and dogs that have become ensnared.
Lorraine Parker
Much Wenlock
