Outrage as barn owl found shot in Staffordshire
A barn owl has died after being gunned down by a shotgun, causing outrage from an animal welfare charity.
Remarkably the bird survived the initial blast which was reported in the Milwich area of Stafford on Sunday afternoon.
But it passed away in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Andrew Campbell, from the Owl Experience Rescue Centre in Haughton, Stafford, was called out to the Uttoxeter Road around 4pm on Sunday following a call from the public.
He found shotgun cartridges in the nearby vicinity of the stricken bird.
After an initial inspection at the vets the verdict was the owl would have to be put down or at best have a wing amputated.
Mr Campbell said: "I am absolutely diminished by it. I really am. I was outraged when it was reported to me.
"I can't understand how people could do something like that.
"I tried to keep it alive but we needed to make it stronger before anything could be done but unfortunately it passed away."
Mr Campbell said it is the first case he is aware of this year of an owl been shot in the Stafford area but stated it has always been an ongoing issue.
He added: "Unfortunately some people just don't want them on their land. It has always been a problem but generally it is just a minority of farmers.
"You can't remove owls though, it is illegal. It is the same as bats you can't move them.
"We just need to be more vigilant about people going out shooting them.
"This could have been an accident and someone could have thought they were out shooting a pigeon but they didn't they shot an owl.
"Unfortunately you can't monitor everyone going out with shotguns.
"The main issues at the moment is with buzzards preying on pheasants but there is no need to shoot owls they only come out at night."
Mr Campbell confirmed the matter had been reported to Staffordshire Police as well as the British Trust for Ornithology who are also looking into the case.
