Sir,
Countryside Correspondent Harry Shukman failed to mention (“Gamekeepers ‘under pressure’ to kill illegally”, May 5) that the scientific paper he was referring to actually found that any pressure to illegally kill predators was both rare and resisted by gamekeepers. The authors also found that modern gamekeepers had diverse motivations, including a sense of custodianship for both game and non-game species. With nature in trouble, we should be grateful for the contribution these working conservationists make to our thriving countryside.
Andrew Gilruth
Director of Communications, GWCT