Illegal killing of raptors on grouse moors and farms causes significant welfare harm - enforcement, land management reform, and public awareness are key responses.
Raptor persecution is both a conservation and welfare crisis. Poisoned raptors die slowly from theanticoagulant rodenticides or banned pesticides used illegally on moorland. Trap-caught birds suffer acute injury before dying. The persistent illegal killing of protected species represents ongoing welfare harm that enforcement alone cannot fully address. Land management reforms - reducing the economic incentive to kill raptors by reforming grouse moor management - address the root cause. Public reporting of suspected persecution is a vital part of the enforcement response.