Pheasant hunting halted on university grounds after 57,000 birds released for shooting in six years
Hunting on grounds where 57,000 pheasants were released for shooting in just six years has been halted.
The licence for hunting at Gregynog Hall in Newtown, Powys, has not been renewed while a review takes place. It lapsed on February 28.
The site, owned by the University of Wales, has been subject to a campaign by the League Against Cruel Sports, which called the extent of hunting "shocking".
Andy Knott, CEO of the League Against Cruel Sports and University of Wales alumni, said: "It is encouraging to see that, following months of campaigning by the League Against Cruel Sports – including emails from 11,000 of our supporters – the University of Wales has allowed its controversial pheasant shooting lease at Gregynog Hall to lapse.
“We encourage the university to stop delaying and go the whole way by bringing pheasant shooting to a permanent end on its grounds. The toxic association with blood sports can only serve to poison the university’s otherwise good name.”
A Freedom of Information request revealed 57,000 pheasants had been released for shooting since 2013, while 160 native wild animals - including foxes and corvids - had been killed by gamekeepers to preserve the land for shooting parties.
The University of Wales confirmed that no contracts or leases had been renewed by the university.
