An iconic farmland bird, a barn owl, has been killed by the carelessness of the consequences of launching Chinese lanterns.
South West conservation-minded farmer, Simon Pain, who has made a DVD of the wildlife on his farm, was shocked to discover the remains of a barn owl entangled in a Chinese lantern. He believes the bird had been hunting on a field margin when it became ensnared.
“For the last ten years, we’ve been trying to create the right environment for them,” he said.
Because he had the presence of mind to get a picture of the tragedy and to raise its demise publicly, the bird’s death lent a powerful pre-Hallowe’en/bonfire night awareness boost that people should avoid sending up these lanterns which also represent a very real threat to livestock and a potential fire risk.
But how much more powerful the message of the bird’s demise could have been if serial ‘farming bashers’ like some at the RSPB had joined forces with Mr Pain and the likes of the NFU, Glastonbury guru Michael Eavis and Devon and Somerset Fire Service in calling for an outright ban on these infernal lanterns which the government has thus far resisted.
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