Chris Packham is no longer a patron of Raptor Rescue (Picture: BBC/Jo Charlesworth)
Chris Packham has been dropped by a birds of prey rehabilitation charity after his behaviour ‘split’ its membership.
The Countryfile presenter had been involved with Raptor Rescue since the early 1990s but the organisation removed him as a patron over a year ago before recently taking his profile down from its website after it had remained there by mistake.
The charity – which rescues and rehabilitates more than 600 birds a year, as well as running a helpline to report raptors in distress – claimed they ‘hadn’t heard from him in a long time’.
They also pointed to his decision to ‘get more and more political in his views’.
Chairman Malcolm Robbins told the Telegraph: ‘He was a patron, but we hadn’t heard from him in a long time, he hadn’t done anything for the charity, and we couldn’t contact him.
‘The other reason we decided to remove him was he started to get more and more political in his views and that didn’t sit well with our members either.
Packham has recently been removed from their website after they cut ties over a year ago (Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
‘So, he wasn’t doing anything for us, and his actions were beginning to split the membership.’
Robbins said the charity’s members ‘are people who simply love birds’ as well as ‘working falconers and people from the countryside who support our work’.
He claimed: ‘Some people don’t like the political side of his activities and he was becoming a more political person.
‘He has now even started talking about breaking the law. Irrespective of our personal feelings, as a charity there is no way we could support that.’
The organisation pointed to Packham’s ‘political’ stance (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
His comments about breaking the law – which were made in Channel 4 documentary Is It Time To Break The Law – came after his removal from the charity.
He asked at the time: ‘Peaceful protest has been a cornerstone of activism, but as the urgency grows, we must question whether it is enough. What will compel decision-makers to listen and take decisive action?
‘The time for complacency has long passed, and it is up to us to drive a tornado of change that cannot be ignored. Our planet’s survival depends on it.’
Packham still serves as vice president of the RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and Butterfly Conservation, while he recently called out ITV and I’m A Celebrity hosts Ant and Dec over the reality show’s use of animals.
Metro.co.uk has contacted Chris Packham’s representatives for comment.
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A birds of prey charity cut ties with the wildlife presenter and activist.
