A peregrine falcon (Harry Collins Photography/shutterstock.com)
Christopher Wheeldon was sentenced to 18 weeks in jail for descending a cliff on a rope to steal peregrine falcon eggs. Derbyshire Live describes Wheeldon, 34, “drug-addicted tree surgeon.”
According to the Derbyshire Constabulary web site, Wheeldon was caught on hidden cameras arrange by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) whereas descending a limestone quarry in April 2023. He stole three Peregrine Falcon eggs, which weren’t recovered. The patrons of stolen peregrine falcon eggs are sometimes from the Middle East, the place there’s a vital marketplace for these eggs. The area has a long-standing cultural custom of falconry, and there’s a excessive demand for uncommon and high-quality birds, significantly these perceived as having superior genetic traits, just like the British Peregrine Falcon.
The Raptor Persecution UK web site supplied a rap sheet for the raptor persecutor:
He reportedly misplaced his driving licence for ‘driving with extra medicine’ in 2021 (here) and was charged with tried theft of a takeaway in Matlock in January 2023 (here – I do not know the end result of that case). In addition, throughout sentencing yesterday, it emerged that Wheeldon was additionally convicted of 5 counts of store lifting, 4 of which took place through the first week of January this yr.
He truly obtained an extended sentence for the shoplifting offences (10 weeks) than he did for disturbing the peregrine nest (8 weeks) and stealing the peregrine eggs (one other 8 weeks, to run concurrently).
Previously on Boing Boing: Peregrine falcons are the dive bombers of the pure world, flying at speeds over 200 mph to snag their prey.
