This is the dale where a Marsh Harrier was shot last month. Heather in the foreground, drystone walls, scattered farms, cloud resting on the tops. Nothing in the view gives the game away, which is rather the trouble. It is yet another sad reminder of the illegal persecution that still shadows Britain’s uplands.
What happened
On 28 August 2026 a juvenile Marsh Harrier was found in the Westerdale area, unable to fly. It had been shot and is believed to have lain injured for several days. Its injuries were too severe to treat, so it was put down. North Yorkshire Police made a public appeal on 21 September. Marsh Harriers are specially protected by law, and nobody has been identified.
Not an isolated case
Rewilding Britain’s analysis found that driven grouse moors cover 28% of the North York Moors National Park. Across the UK, the RSPB’s 2021 Birdcrime report found that 71% of confirmed raptor persecution incidents related to land managed for gamebird shooting. Research on Hen Harriers points the same way. The RSPB reports that illegal killing accounts for 75% of deaths in harriers aged between one and two, and mortality was higher in areas managed for grouse shooting.
Closer to home, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust says one in five confirmed shootings in England over the past ten years took place in North Yorkshire1Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Marsh Harrier shot on North York Moors – our response, 22nd September 2026. https://www.ywt.org.uk/news/marsh-harrier-shot-on-north-york-moors-our-response-22nd-september-2026. This summer a tagged white-tailed eagle disappeared on the North York Moors. Raptor Persecution UK cannot recall a prosecution for crimes against birds of prey in the park since 2008.
Why it keeps happening
The land is remote and there are few witnesses. The risk of being caught is low, and the record backs that up. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust says the shooting industry’s self-policing is failing.
There is also a quieter question. The dales are small communities, where most people know one another and many share a livelihood with the land around them. I have no evidence of anything, and I do not suggest that anyone knows who fired the shot. But it is fair to wonder whether, in a place like this, silence comes more easily than speaking up. A bird lay wounded for days, and an appeal for information has now gone out. Someone may know something.
National Parks ought to lead on nature recovery, not lose their protected wildlife. We should ask for proper criminal investigations, statutory licensing of shooting, and an end to driven grouse shooting.
What you can do
If you know anything, contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 or at kimberley.laws@northyorkshire.police.uk, quoting incident number 122601713202RaptorPersecutionUK. Marsh Harrier found shot in North York Moors National Park – Police appeal for information. https://raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/09/22/marsh-harrier-found-shot-in-north-york-moors-national-park-police-appeal-for-information/.
Defra is also seeking evidence on the environmental and animal health and welfare impacts of gamebird rearing, release and shooting in England. It is a long survey with more than 100 questions, but most only apply if you are in the business. Question 29 is a good one: “Are there any additional positive or negative impacts [of gamebird release and shooting], not covered above, for example recreational benefits?” If you would rather skip the form, you can email your experience to Gamebirds@defra.gov.uk with “Call for Evidence” in the subject line. The survey closes at 11:59pm on 1 November 2026. It is really important that this opportunity is not missed.
- 1Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Marsh Harrier shot on North York Moors – our response, 22nd September 2026. https://www.ywt.org.uk/news/marsh-harrier-shot-on-north-york-moors-our-response-22nd-september-2026 ↩︎
- 2RaptorPersecutionUK. Marsh Harrier found shot in North York Moors National Park – Police appeal for information. https://raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/09/22/marsh-harrier-found-shot-in-north-york-moors-national-park-police-appeal-for-information/ ↩︎
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