Criticism of killing of Scotland's wild animals due to Covid exemption

At a time when most other indoor and outdoor gatherings have been limited to six people, the decision to allow  an exemption for grouse shoots from Covid restrictions has come in for criticism. In Scotland, shoots are permitted provided guidance and laws to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are followed. Animal welfare campaigners including the Scottish charity OneKind said wildlife had "thrived" during the lockdown, but was now being "shot for fun".

A spokeswoman for OneKind said: "In many places wildlife was left alone to flourish during the spring lockdown and many of us took great pleasure in immersing ourselves in nature and admiring Scotland's native animals.

"The shooting industry is designed around cruelty and it is alarming that the killing of Scotland's wild animals is being allowed during this crisis.

A recent article in the Huffington Post reported a row over the UK's Conservative government's handling of its permission for grouse shoots while strict limits on people meeting up were in place. The article also pointed out that the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson himself has written in the past that he “loved” foxhunting with dogs, once writing in the Spectator magazine of the “semi-sexual relation with the horse” and the “military-style pleasure” of moving as a unit. In referring back to this statement by Boris Johnson this article reminds people of the warped morals of those that promote and take part in blood sports.

This is a link to a pdf from OneKind on the cruelty that surrounds grouse shooting: https://www.onekind.scot/wp-content/uploads/Untold-suffering.pdf