Gozo Trapper Caught on Camera Killing Protected Kestrel in 'Brutal Act of Cruelty'

A trapper in Gozo has been filmed catching and killing a protected kestrel in what conservation groups are describing as an act of exceptional brutality. The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) released video footage of the incident, warning viewers of the distressing content, which shows the man running towards the bird caught in his net and crushing it to death with his boot before discarding it in nearby bushes [1].

"The footage is hard to watch and a cautionary example for the complete lack of empathy and compassion with which many poachers act," said CABS press officer Axel Hirschfeld [1].

The incident came to light as CABS monitoring teams intensified surveillance during the bird migration season. The footage also captured the man attempting to hide evidence by collecting his cages and apparently feigning distress when he realised police were approaching [1].

Widening Crackdown on Illegal Trapping

This case represents just one of 13 poaching incidents caught red-handed across the Maltese islands over the past 10 days [1]. The enforcement effort has been substantial: Environmental Protection Unit police caught 11 trappers in Malta and Gozo police apprehended two others, resulting in the confiscation of 20 sets of clap nets, 56 live birds, and three dead birds [1]. All those responsible are facing criminal proceedings.

CABS wildlife crime officer Fiona Burrows praised the police response: "most of the officers did a good job and we are confident that all cases we have reported will go to court" [1].

The Kestrel's Protected Status

Kestrels are listed in Schedule I of the Conservation of Wild Bird Regulations, affording them the highest level of legal protection available in Malta [1]. The species had been hunted to extinction on the islands but has made a moderate recovery in recent years, with irregular breeding now occurring across the Maltese archipelago [1].

Criticism of Government Policy

While praising police efforts, CABS was critical of the Maltese government's handling of bird protection policy. The group condemned what it described as "decades-long indifference towards the dark underbelly of animal cruelty and illegal bird trade" and called for an immediate end to government derogations from an EU-wide ban on songbird trapping [1].

CABS argued that these derogations, which claim trapping serves scientific research purposes, amount to a "legal smokescreen" enabling poachers to fuel the black market with wild-caught birds – particularly since the research has yet to produce any peer-reviewed studies [1]. "The narrative of the 'harmless old trapper who just wants to enjoy his past' is a myth," Hirschfeld insisted [1].

BirdLife Malta: 'Cruelty in Its Purest Form'

BirdLife Malta swiftly condemned the killing, describing it as exposing "a deeply troubling reality of individuals who believe they hold absolute power over our natural wildlife" [1].

"This is cruelty in its purest form. It is not only a conservation issue, but also a serious animal welfare concern that should shock society as a whole," the organisation stated [1].

The NGO called the incident a symptom of a problem extending beyond enforcement failures, arguing it was the direct result of "a lobby that has been emboldened by Maltese politicians to the extent that it now feels it can act with impunity" [1]. It highlighted cases of barn owls – species the hunting lobby claims to be reintroducing – being shot by hunters, and noted that members within hunting ranks, including council members, have been found breaking the law by both local and foreign courts [1].

"Malta deserves better. Our wildlife deserves protection, respect, and dignity – not brutality," BirdLife Malta concluded [1].

CABS teams will continue monitoring illegal bird trapping and hunting until the migration season ends in May [1].