THE owners of an animal park, home to 120 birds of prey, are pleading with firework fans to stick to organised, public displays to protect the area's wildlife. 

Martin and Tara Ballam have been running Xtreme Dorset Falconry Park, near Dorchester, since 2019. 

In that time, they've experienced the devastating effect fireworks can have on animals. 

One of their birds died of shock and another had a stroke after loud explosions in the surrounding area.

Mr Ballam, a keen conservationist, said fireworks can be 'detrimental' to animals and is calling on the public to stick to  professional, public displays so that the impact can be minimised. 

"It's not just Bonfire Night itself, you often get people setting fireworks off at random times on other days before and after," he said.

"It can have a huge impact on wildlife. You will, of course, get some animals which aren't too bothered but others experience severe shock - we've had animals at the vomiting stage of shock and shaking. One of our birds died, sadly.

"We have 120 birds here, some critically endangered, and it's not nice to see them in distress. We also have sheep, chickens and horses.

"We've found burnt out fireworks and firework residue in enclosures in past years. We have been to the police in the past, but it's very difficult to prove unless you can demonstrate that particular firework was responsible for an animal's death. That's very hard to do.  We have CCTV, which we will continue to monitor, but we just want people to be considerate and think about the local wildlife."

The National Farmers' Union has urged anyone thinking of letting off fireworks to think about where they will be setting them off in relation to livestock.

It says the loud noises can be extremely destressing for cows, sheep, horses and poultry, and can lead to animals becoming agitated, getting loose from their fields or housing, and can often seriously injure themselves and others.

Livestock startled by the loud noises from fireworks are at risk of injuring themselves on fencing, farm equipment or fixtures and fittings within their housing.

(Image: Xtreme Falconry)

Mr Ballam stressed the importance of making people around you aware should you decide to go ahead with your own firework display. 

"Bonfire Night and fireworks can be a fantastic spectacle, but even the big, organised events will have wildlife nearby," he said. 

"We're all here on standby, as we always are, but it everything is reactive because we don't know when things will happen. It can be very stressful. 

"Forewarning allows us - and other people with animals in their care - to be prepared rather reacting to an animal in dire destress."