A Mid Ulster councillor says he was left reeling after stumbling upon what he could only describe as “a graveyard” of animal remains in the Clogher Valley countryside.
Sheep, calves and a cow lay dumped at a rural site – a location he cannot yet disclose as investigations are under way – forming the worst scene he says he has ever witnessed.
“I was at another site this evening — it was shocking. I have never seen anything like it in my life. It was like a graveyard.
“There was a cow, two sheep, and there were remains of sheep or calves, whatever they were, as well, and lots and lots of stuff. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life, and [yet] I’ve seen many sights.”
The Independent councillor told the April 15 meeting of Mid Ulster District Council’s Environment Committee that this horror scene followed a string of grim discoveries – and complaints – about animal remains being fly-tipped across the area.
Referring to one case on the Altaglushan Road, between Killeeshil and Cappagh, he said: “I got a call about dead lambs found in several places along the [Altaglushan] Road, just thrown over the hedge into the sheugh.
“Now, I think there were maybe four in one bag. There were a couple of separate ones, and then there were remains of like a cow or something on up [on the Reclain Road].
“But then, yesterday evening again, I got called about another sheep up in Augher, dumped over the hedge as well. There were round bales, lots of stuff dumped over the hedge as well.”
Councillor McElvogue said the continuing discoveries raised serious questions about who deals with dead animals and how the public can quickly report such incidents.
“Can I propose, you see the agencies that deal with lifting dead animals off the road, the likes of a badger, fox, cats, dogs and calves — is there some way the Council can put out a list of all the different contacts for people to phone, that we can be sharing out there with people?”
He also urged the Council to step up anti-litter efforts in schools, suggesting weekly awareness-raising, and he singled out local young people who are already playing their part.
He “praised young Scouts who had taken part in a litter pick in the weekend before Easter”.
Assistant Director of Environmental Services, Mark McAdoo, said officers would look at adding key contact numbers online.
“The inclusion of contact numbers on the relevant web page would be considered,” he told councillors.
He added that schools work was already a core part of the Council’s approach.
“In relation to the point about litter education, that does form part of our Environmental Education Team’s work in local schools, and also part of the Eco-Schools programme — the very successful Green Flag programme amongst the local schools here.
“In relation to the collection of dead animals, the Council is responsible for the collection of dead animals from the roadside and public property, but not from private property. That’s the landowner’s responsibility, unfortunately.
“DAERA is not going to go in and lift a dead animal from a private landowner’s land [either].”
DUP councillor Mark Robinson, also representing Clogher Valley, said he too had been contacted by residents alarmed at animal carcasses dumped at the roadside.
“I was contacted as well about that dead sheep outside Augher, and I have notified the Council of it.
“I was hoping it would have been collected at this stage. It is an issue, and it’s good to know that the Council is responsible, because there’s also a deer lying on the Minterburn Road, out on the edge of the road as well, and it is a problem.
“There’s no doubt fly-tipping and dead carcasses tipped by the side of the road is a problem.”
