Bolton Abbey is cruelly snaring, trapping (inhumanly) and killing cats

[DreamEvenBigger]

I am appalled. There are so many rescues who will trap, neuter and return. There is no need for this cruelty.

www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/tourism/visitors-threaten-bolton-abbey-boycott-19903640

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Oh, no. That's one of our favourite places to visit in non-covid times.

They’ve always managed the land to the detriment of animals they deem unwelcome, like foxes. I wouldn’t boycott on the grounds they are now including feral cats, because it’s all equally abhorrent.

We haven’t been for ages because it costs a fortune and is rammed with twats having barbecues and letting their children throw stones at ducks. That demographic the Estate is happy to encourage and fleece aren’t going to give a shit about traps.

Well, I won't be going again in view of this.

They usually close off the operational bits of the moors. I wonder if people have wandered further than usual to see the traps and the pit? Or the gamekeepers have moved into the public areas a bit more as visitor levels are supposed to be low to non-existent at the moment?
No trap I’ve ever come across (theoretically) on walks (theoretical ones) remained in working order
Never seen any there, though.

I’m sure you’ll get the usual cat haters coming on here soon to say the painful death of a few feral cats is nothing to be concerned about.

Oh dear god ,that’s awful ,Thankyou for highlighting,hopefully it will put people of going

That's horrible. Snares are illegal so hopefully it isn't estate policy and is a rogue gamekeeper. We know feral cats are detrimental to ground nesting birds, but if they kept a healthy fox population then the foxes would keep the cat numbers down. If you leave nature alone it balances itself out.

Snares are illegal

Sadly this isn’t true.

@Poached you are right sadly.

Thank you for highlighting this. I shan’t be going there again.

@Saucery

They’ve always managed the land to the detriment of animals they deem unwelcome, like foxes. I wouldn’t boycott on the grounds they are now including feral cats, because it’s all equally abhorrent.

We haven’t been for ages because it costs a fortune and is rammed with twats having barbecues and letting their children throw stones at ducks. That demographic the Estate is happy to encourage and fleece aren’t going to give a shit about traps.

There are many rescues who will trap, neuter and return (effectively allowing the population to decline naturally). There is no need for cruelty. Have you seen the injuries snares do? I cannot believe that they're legal.

I think they own Chatsworth too.

DreamEvenBigger I’m not saying it’s in any way acceptable, just that it’s happening to other animals they don’t want on their land and has been for a long time.
I don’t make a distinction between a fox, a feral cat, a grey squirrel, a goshawk, a buzzard, a badger or any other wild creature deemed unwelcome by gamekeeping practices.

I would love to think the trapping would stop due to public pressure but there’s such a lot of money to be made in shoots that I doubt a boycott will do any good. The place is rammed every day, at £10 a car is it now? The estate see the pretty walks bit as an extra way to make money. They will not give a shit that feral cats are killed, just the same as any other animal.

This is true, it should be illegal to use these traps. A marksman could shoot them or they could be tnr or people could just bloody neuter their pets and not let them breed out of control.

Someone in wales poisoned and shot a golden eagle recently .

Dh used to shoot clay pigeons and he used to get invited on shoots which he declined because he’s a decent human being.

Does anyone know what species of birds they are trying to protect?

@Saucery

DreamEvenBigger I’m not saying it’s in any way acceptable, just that it’s happening to other animals they don’t want on their land and has been for a long time. I don’t make a distinction between a fox, a feral cat, a grey squirrel, a goshawk, a buzzard, a badger or any other wild creature deemed unwelcome by gamekeeping practices.

I would love to think the trapping would stop due to public pressure but there’s such a lot of money to be made in shoots that I doubt a boycott will do any good. The place is rammed every day, at £10 a car is it now? The estate see the pretty walks bit as an extra way to make money. They will not give a shit that feral cats are killed, just the same as any other animal.

Yes - I agree that inhumane traps should be made illegal, full stop.

@Cocopogo

Does anyone know what species of birds they are trying to protect?

The newspaper report linked to in the OP says golden plover, hen harrier, merlin and peregrine falcon.