Darlington birds of prey event cancelled after vegan groups’ concern

The description for the event on the Hopetown Darlington website says it is a chance to come “face-to-face with hunters – from majestic owls and powerful eagles to lightning-fast falcons and striking hawks”.

Kathy Barley, one of the leaders of the Darlington Vegans, said the event was not a true educational tool because “they force wild animals to perform unnatural behaviour such as flying to human cues… purely for crowd spectacle”.

She said: “Darlington Vegans, along with North East Animal Rights and Freedom for Animals, are delighted to hear that the upcoming Birds of Prey event to be held at Hopetown has been cancelled.

“Rather than promoting a genuine understanding of raptor ecology, it reinforces the harmful idea that wildlife exists for human exploitation and handling.”

Barley praised Hopetown for being an amazing venue and said it would continue to be “a first-class educational experience without resorting to using live animals”.

The event would have seen chats with expert handlers, talks about the birds habitats, food chains, life cycles and conservation, and photo opportunities.

A Hopetown spokesperson said: “While all appropriate welfare, accreditation and safety standards were in place, we have listened to the concerns raised by local campaign groups and have taken the decision to cancel the planned Bird of Prey flying display.”

“We apologise to all of the families booked onto the event.”

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