A red kite, one of the protected rare birds released into the wild by Minister for the Environment John Gormley last July, has been rescued by a Leitrim farmer following a case of suspected poisoning.
Sheep farmer Michael Torsney found the bird earlier this month in a very weak condition on a road verge near his farm. He brought the bird home and put it under a heat lamp normally used for the care of newborn lambs and contacted the phone number on the bird's wing tag.
Blood and faecal samples taken from the bird yesterday revealed that it had been poisoned by the substance alphachloralose, a poison used for the control of pest birds such as magpies.
The kite has since made a full recovery and has been released into the wild.
"We are very grateful to Michael Torsney for his decisive and quick response to this incident," Red kite project manager Damian Clarke said. "Michael undoubtedly saved this kite from a slow death."
Another of the 30 kites released by the Minister was shot on a Co Wicklow farm last August. The red kite is a protected species.
