Flight down

POLICE have launched an investigation after a rare peregrine falcon was found dead in Old Colwyn. Experts fear it was poisoned or shot by rogue elements in the game or pigeon communities, who blame the adult birds for attacking their own stock.They warned that whoever killed the eight-week-old chick could face a £5,000 fine or six months jail if convicted.Growing numbers of these rare birds, of which there are only 1,500 breeding pairs in the UK, are being found killed.The police said the latest killing comes after another peregrine falcon was killed in the same quarry. The killer was never caught.

Nature is a wonderful thing, producing predator and prey in magnificent abundance. But Man remains the most deadly predator, and the only one that hunts and kills its own species for ideological reasons. These birds need our protection.