POLICE IN NORTHERN Ireland have seized four barn owls after a raid on a property in Co Armagh.
This happened last month after it was reported that the birds were being kept at the property and sold on the internet.
The PSNI has said that it seized the animals due to its suspicion that the animals were being held and sold without the correct licences.
They have said that it takes wildlife crime as seriously as any other type of crime, and that members of the public are encouraged to report any offences that they are aware of.
Difficulties have previously been reported in Northern Ireland with peregrine falcons.
The birds are native to the region and considered endangered, but a number of the birds have been shot dead in recent times.
In October, organisation Ulster Wildlife launched an initiative to highlight the threats that wildlife in the region faces.
Speaking at the time, Environment Minister in the North, the SDLP’s Mark Durkan spoke out about those who target wildlife “for their personal pleasure or those who illegally exploit or target our wildlife for financial gain”.
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