Slow down - and spare our precious wildlife

"A society can be judged by its treatment of its children and its animals." How barbaric, then, must our society be adjudged?

My home is surrounded by green fields and rolling hills. Since my arrival here, however, I have been appalled at the wanton slaughter of creatures on our rural roads. Today I retrieved the broken bodies of two beautiful cock pheasants and gave them a dignified resting place in the adjacent fields.

Last week I played undertaker to two hares and a squirrel. Finches, sparrows, wood pigeons, rabbits, stoats, badgers, deer, foxes - I have seen them all slaughtered by drivers going too fast. To say they have "given the driver no chance" is piffle. I drive a car with a capacity for speed more than most, but I have avoided killing a single creature. I drive mostly at 30mph, and never more than 40mph on these roads.

In these days of conservation projects and endangered species awareness, it seems preposterous that we should exhibit no regard for the creatures we encounter every day, in their domain, but daring to stray on to "our" roads and highways. Is it too much to ask drivers to exercise more care?

JAMES ANDERSON

Tanderlane Cottages

Haddington, East Lothian

Which birds have the greater right to survival, raptors or grouse, pheasants, doves, partridges and songbirds, many of whose numbers are on the decrease due to the increase in the raptor population? As the law now forbids the shooting of birds of prey, which was quick and painless, is it surprising that poison now has to be used to protect the other species?

(MRS) DOROTHY BALEAN

Crailinghall

Jedburgh, Roxburghshire