Poison alert for pet owners on Quantocks as buzzard dies

PET owners are being warned by police to be vigilant after the death of a buzzard on the Quantock Hills which had been poisoned with a banned pesticide.
The dead buzzard was found by a walker on the hills. It was lying on top of a dead pheasant not far from a game bird release pen.
Post mortems on the buzzard and the pheasant showed both had the banned pesticide carbofuran in their bodies.
Carbofuran was once widely used to control insects in a variety of field crops, including potatoes, corn, and soybeans, and is known to be highly toxic to birds with just a single grain causing death.
Police said they believed the pheasant may have been baited to target animals which preyed on game birds, but they were unsure if was left specifically for buzzards.
Together with officials from Natural England, police officers searched the Quantocks earlier this month for any signs of the banned substance and to carry out safety checks on pesticide stores.
Police wildlife crime officer Sgt Andy Whysall said: “The indiscriminate poisoning of wildlife is a serious matter which affects all who use the countryside.
“Pet owners walking on the hills are advised to avoid contact with animal carcasses, suspect baits, pesticides, or pesticide containers.”
Natural England spokesman David Trump said: “Dogs have a tendency to pick things up while walking and some pesticides are fairly quick acting, so sometimes by the time owners realise their pet is unwell it is too late.
“It is also potentially hazardous to children and people in general.
“We want people to be aware and to report anything suspicious to the police.”
Animal Concern charity spokesman John Robins said bird poisonings were often difficult to solve because they took place in remote areas and the birds could fly some distance away from where they took the bait.
Mr Robins said: “We urge people to contact the police immediately and not to touch anything they find because it is evidence and it can be lethal.”
It is a criminal offence carrying a maximum fine of £5,000 to supply, sell, store, or use any non-approved pesticide.
The Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme investigates deaths of wildlife where there is evidence that pesticide poisoning may be involved and has appealed for information about the buzzard’s death.
Anybody with information should call 0800 321600.

• Our photograph shows the carcass of the buzzard found on the Quantocks. Photo submitted.

LETTER: Acomplia drug withdrawal shows pointlessness of animal testing

Dear Editor - Just four years ago, Acomplia was hailed in the national press as a wonder slimming pill.
Now, it has been withdrawn by the authorities because of a high risk of serious psychiatric disorders leading, in some cases, to suicide.
This catastrophe, once again, underlines the pointlessness of animal tests during drug development.
Acomplia was passed as safe on the basis of those tests even though the physiology and mental make-up of rats and dogs is completely different from people’s.
But even if rats did suffer Acomplia-induced anxiety, depression, and suicidal feelings, how would the lab researchers know?
Animal Aid has just published a major thoroughly-referenced critique of the drug industry, which includes an exposé of the scientifically fraudulent use of animals and the industry’s sharp practice during the trialling and marketing of drugs.
It is available free on request.
Kate Fowler-Reeves
Animal Aid
The Old Chapel
Bradford Street
Tonbridge
Kent
TN9 1AW

LETTER: Think about animals before buying 'pink' in breast cancer awareness month

Dear Editor - Anybody who has picked up a magazine or walked through a shop recently, knows that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
It is hard to miss the displays of pink products that benefit breast cancer charities.
But before you buy, ask yourself if your donation will really help women in relevant ways, or will you simply be funding the same useless animal experiments that have been going on for decades?
The basic model of cancer research has not changed much since the 1970s: Grow cancer cells in a laboratory, inject them into mice, attack the resulting tumours with the experimental drug du jour and see what happens.
But there is a world of difference between humans and animals in their metabolism, biochemistry, physiology, and genetic make-up, so the results seen in mice cannot be reliably applied to people.
Meanwhile, as we spend millions of pounds to cure cancer in mice, we are missing opportunities that could help real women in the real world - such as making breast cancer treatment more accessible and educating people about the role that diet plays in cancer prevention.
Sadly, new technologies that could truly benefit patients - like the three-dimensional model of human breast cancer recently developed by British scientists, made by growing cells from normal and cancerous breast tissue - remain the exception.
This October, we do not need more pink ribbons or pink T-shirts - or mice with breast cancer.
We need a commitment to funding programmes that will result in true medical progress, including better patient services, education, and vital research that does not rely on outdated animal models.
Toni Vernelli
Animal Aid
Bradford St
Tonbridge, Kent
TN9 1AW