25 illegally trapped turtle doves seized in Gozo

25 turtle doves were released back into the wild by police in Gozo after a large illegal cage was discovered yesterday close to Gharb.

Footage provided by Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), who made the discovery, also shows a turtle dove that had been shot in Safi by hunters.

Last year, the government declared a moratorium on the hunting of turtle dove, after the International Union for the Conservation of Nature classified the species as vulnerable.

This year’s spring hunting season, which closes today, is open only for quail.