Graphic footage has revealed the miserable reality of a pheasant's life - as hunting season kicks off.
The League Against Cruel Sports has published a video showing how young birds are bred for British shooting estates, where they are mutilated before being killed - often in a slow and painful manner.
Pheasant hunting season kicked off on October 1st, meaning thousands of the non-native birds will be shot for sport over the coming months.
Dr Toni Shephard, Head of Policy and Research at the League Against Cruel Sports said: “People generally imagine that pheasants and partridges lead a pleasant life wandering around the countryside before being shot during the game season. This video reveals the shocking reality of what these poor birds go through.
“Pheasants and partridges used for breeding are confined in tiny wire-mesh cages for months or even years. Their life is filled with pain, fear and stress and then they are shot for fun.”
Despite a government report playing down the birds’ suffering, the League say uncomfortable truths must be confronted about hunting.
These include:
70 per cent of pheasants and 39 per cent of partridges in the study showed feather damage from pecking by other birds. Feather damage is recognised as the primary cause of early death among the birds, and the frequency of attacks a clear sign of stress among the birds.
These staggeringly high figures are in spite of the fact that the birds are ‘bitted’ – deliberately mutilated before they are caged in a bid to stop them from injuring other birds.
Birds made over 250 attempts to escape from their cages during the study period, jumping up in a futile attempt to fly away. This is another clear sign of stress.
One in four birds had substantial foot damage such as lesions, swelling and bruising. Defra considered this to be a ‘small’ welfare impact, but the number of birds affected is huge – at least half a million or more.
Dr Shephard continued: “We are calling on the government to ban breeding cages for game-birds as they are extremely stressful for these semi-wild species.”
For more information visit The League Against Cruel Sports here.