THE gamebird shooting season is under way, with its barrage of noise from guns and four-wheeled vehicles and the tragic sight of dead pheasants and partridges littering the roadsides.

Every year, more than 40 million pheasants and partridges are purpose-bred for the shooting industry. Around 18 million are shot and retrieved, while millions more will die from their wounds, starvation, predation or under the wheels of cars.

Animal Aid receives calls on an almost daily basis from members of the public who live near a shoot, or who have stumbled upon the horrific sight of animals who have been trapped, snared, shot or poisoned by gamekeepers to keep their birds 'safe' until the start of shooting season.

If you are sick and tired of the noise, cruelty and waste associated with gamebird shooting, contact Animal Aid for an anti-shooting information pack.

Fiona Pereira

Animal Aid