Queen Elizabeth is getting some flak for the death of a young owl in her countryside estate in Sandringham after an animal rights group shared some photos on social media in its campaign against the use of Fenn traps.
The National Anti-Snaring Campaign (NASC) shared the images of the dead owl on Twitter, which sparked an upset from royal fans. They said that the use of traps at Queen Elizabeth's estate is an awful and disgraceful practice that must be stopped.
A spokesperson for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) confirmed that they received a report early this year about the dead bird. It was found inside a Fenn trap in the land between Sandringham and Anmer Hall, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The spokesperson further said that Fenn traps are legal and used to fend off wild animals to protect domestic animals and other wildlife, such as the Queen's pigeons. However, there have been some concerns about how the owl died. Owls are also protected species in the United Kingdom under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
In April, the U.K. released a new law demanding that Fenn traps should only be used to kill rats, vermin, mice, weasels, and grey squirrels. According to ITV, members of the NASC discovered that Sandringham has about 10 of these traps during a visit to the estate on Dec. 8, 2020.
The NASC members also noticed that the Fenn traps were set at the ground level, risking the lives of protected species. They want Queen Elizabeth and her staff to replace these deadly tools with Doc traps, which are used by the Department of Conservation in New Zealand.
The RSPCA also issued a warning to the Queen's gamekeepers to ensure that these traps are properly set on the property.
A spokesperson for the Sandringham Estate said that they adhere "to all the appropriate standards and regulations required" as a working estate. The traps used are also in compliance with the current regulations.
Sources at Buckingham Palace also said that this was an "unfortunate, isolated incident," which was looked into by the RSPCA and the Norfolk Police. The agencies determined that further action was not needed.
Queen Elizabeth spends her Christmas holiday in Sandringham with the royal family. However, this year, the house will be empty due to the COVID-19 lockdown rules against social gatherings.
