Police appeal for information about tagged hen harrier missing from area of market town near Lancaster

By Michelle Blade
Published 17th May 2023, 14:30 BST
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A tagged hen harrier has gone missing and was last seen in an area near Kirkby Lonsdale, said police.

Police said on the Lancs Rural Police Facebook page: “Following information being received that a sat tagged hen harrier had gone missing, and the tag suffering catastrophic failure, we have been working with our colleagues in the National Wildlife Crime Unit to try to locate the bird.

"Today we have conducted a section 19 search, utilising tracking equipment, where the harrier was last known to be, this was in the Mallowdale area near to Kirkby Lonsdale. “Unfortunately we were not successful in locating the bird, which went missing over May 4 and 5, we are asking for anyone who has any information to contact Lancashire Police Rural Crime Task force via 101 or email [email protected] and quote log number LC-20230516-0307.”

When a hen harrier goes missing, Natural England always consider the possibility that it could have been illegally killed.