"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
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"BAC" wrote in message
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"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
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"BAC" wrote in message
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"John Edgar" wrote in message
ups.com...
In what way is it illegal to kill vermin by drowning them? One of
the
best ways I would have thought. I believe it is illegal to drown
humans, but grey squirrels?

It was technically made illegal by virtue of the Wild Mammals
Protection
Act
1996 which included drowning amongst the list of abuses outlawed from
30th
April 1997. I don't know whether the RSPCA has actually brought
charges
against anyone for drowning a wild mammal, though, or if they have,
whether
the perpetrator was convicted.

It is the method recomended by the Forestry Commistion for the disposal
of
this type of vermin.


Is it? Do you have a reference for that? Did you perhaps receive that
advice
prior to April 1997?

Please enlighten me, what happened on April 1997.


The Wild Mammals Protection Act 1996 came into force, as previously stated.
I was speculating it might be possible, that, as a consequence of deliberate
drowning being listed as an abuse, the FC may have amended its position
regarding despatch of grey squirrels by drowning.

I have asked the RSPCA whether, in their opinion, drowning of grey squirrels
is a humane form of killing live trapped squirrels, and their response was
that the squirrels should be despatched either by shooting or by a lethal
blow to the head.