Dr Ruth Tingay: From Birds in Boxes to Rivers of Raptors; One woman’s mission for Wild Justice against Raptor Persecution
Jan 9, 2024
auto_awesome
Dr. Ruth Tingay is a passionate conservationist dedicated to raptor protection. She shares her inspiring journey, from reintroducing the Red Kite to tackling wildlife crime through her Raptor Persecution blog and Wild Justice initiative. Ruth discusses the delicate balance between raptors and grouse shooting, her transformative field experiences, and the significant conservation efforts for the Mauritius Kestrel. She emphasizes the need for public engagement in wildlife activism and reflects on recent victories in environmental justice.
Dr. Ruth Tingay's career illustrates the urgent need to combat raptor persecution in the UK, highlighting its ecological consequences.
Her diverse global experiences fostered a deep understanding of raptor ecology and the importance of international conservation efforts.
Through the Raptor Persecution blog and Wild Justice, Ruth empowers public engagement and legal accountability for wildlife protection policies.
Deep dives
The Impact of Raptor Persecution
Ruth Tingey has dedicated her career to combating the illegal killing of birds of prey in the UK. She emphasizes that raptors, such as the hen harrier, face significant threats from gamekeepers who view them as competition for game birds like grouse. This illegal persecution not only disrupts wildlife populations but also has broader ecological implications, as the loss of these apex predators can destabilize ecosystems. Tingey’s work highlights the urgent need for public awareness and legislative action to address wildlife crime.
Personal Journey into Conservation
Ruth's path to conservation is marked by a unique blend of adventure and unexpected opportunities. Initially detached from nature, she later became captivated by raptor ecology during volunteer work, which sparked her passion for studying birds of prey. Her diverse field experiences, from monitoring raptors in Mauritius to studying migration patterns in Mexico, shaped her understanding of ecological challenges and species interactions. These experiences fostered her desire to contribute to global conservation efforts.
Innovative Research Techniques
Ruth discusses groundbreaking research techniques such as satellite tagging to study short-eared owls, which provide insights into their migratory behavior. For example, a female owl tracked from Scotland relocated to Scandinavia shortly after laying eggs, showcasing extraordinary adaptability and potential reproductive strategies. Such findings underline the complexity of avian life histories, particularly for species that are still not fully understood. This innovative research enhances conservation strategies by informing both local and international efforts to protect these enigmatic creatures.
Advocacy and Activism through Blogging
Ruth founded the Raptor Persecution blog to raise awareness about wildlife crime, driven by her frustration with the lack of public knowledge regarding raptor persecution in the UK. The blog serves as a critical platform for sharing information and mobilizing public support for conservation causes. By highlighting specific incidents and encouraging community engagement, she aims to foster a collective response to illegal wildlife practices. The blog also serves as a resource for advocating policy changes to protect birds of prey and their habitats.
The Role of Wild Justice in Wildlife Conservation
Ruth co-founded Wild Justice, a charity focused on holding governments accountable for wildlife protections, following a series of dropped cases related to raptor persecution. This organization aims to challenge unlawful practices through legal action, emphasizing the need for transparency and adherence to existing environmental laws. Ruth highlights the importance of public support in influencing legislative action and the role that large membership organizations can play in driving change. Through Wild Justice, Ruth continues to advocate for stronger protections and reforms in wildlife management policies.
Dr Ruth Tingay is a conservationist and campaigner who has spent her career primarily focused upon the world’s raptor population (that’s Birds of Prey, rather than Veloci-...) Her career was inadvertently kickstarted through working at Heathrow airport’s Animal Reception Centre. Here she welcomed back the UK’s Red Kite population for their reintroduction to our country, as well as the usual pampered felines, escaped pooches, and boxes stuffed full of mystery birds. Throw Nile Crocodiles, an annual Mexican Hawk Migration of 4.6 million birds and the DNA of Golden Eagles into the mix, and you get an incredibly varied career that has leapfrogged the globe from Mauritius to Mexico then on to Madagascar and many other countries beginning with ‘M’ besides. But since 2009, Ruth has been focused upon the plights of our domestic birds; shedding light upon wildlife crime through her Raptor Persecution blog, and through joining with Mark Avery and Chris Packham to spearhead their Wild Justice which is holding the Governments of Britain to account for ongoing enviro-failings and eco-crimes. Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast?