Last updated at 14:39, Wednesday, 12 November 2008

Many of you will have enjoyed the recent Autumnwatch on BBC, especially the views of white tailed eagles on Mull.

Danger: Reader John Miles says a barn owl was shot recently

Following the programme, an incident happened on the island where an apparent eagle was hit by a vehicle with islanders phoning the police to investigate whether the bird was OK showing how much the islanders have taken to its wildlife.

At the same time, I receive a phone call telling me that a barn owl has been shot in the Eden Valley by a pheasant shoot.

Cumbria once had a thriving population of wildlife, sadly now with many species removed by the gun to benefit a small number of people. Red kites were one of those species as well as the white tailed eagle, pine marten and wild cat.

Fortunately, a programme of reintroduction for many of these species is on the cards worth up to £20 million a year to the local economy. This will only succeed if people understand the true worth of our wildlife and, like the people of Mull, learn to care for it themselves.

JOHN MILES
Geltsdale

First published at 11:24, Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk