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Egger jailed in U.K.

LONDON: One of Britain’s most notorious “eggers” — the compulsive collectors who trawl the countryside hunting for wild bird eggs — was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to violating wildlife regulations.

Gregory Wheal, described by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds as the country’s most-convicted egg collector, was arrested after a small stash of peregrine falcon and raven eggs was found hidden in his home in Coventry, northwest of London, last year.

Wheal, 44, has eight previous convictions for egg-related offences stretching back to 1987, but the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says he is one of hundreds of British men whose all-consuming hobby is stalking wild birds, raiding their nests, and keeping the eggs in elaborate, secret collections.

“This is a particularly British perversion, and particularly male,” said Grahame Madge, a spokesman for the society.

He said eggers could travel thousands of miles in an effort to feed their obsession, planning attacks on remote nests “like a military operation.”

Wheal himself was found with climbing irons when authorities raided his home.

“It’s just a very sad hobby,” Mr. Madge said, explaining that the collectors’ hunger had dealt serious damage to Britain’s wild bird population.

“It’s something that seems to, in some individuals, just ignite a spark in them, and it develops into a lifelong passion,” Mr. Madge said. — AP

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