Roosters dumped in mountains outside Draperstown, may be cock-fight survivors

The birds were found at an isolated location leading to a former car park at Banagher forest.

The cocks, which appear in good health, may have been ‘rejected’ by fight organisers or simply abandoned if the event was disturbed.

Incredibly, the birds have managed to survive in the wild for more than two months.

A spokesman for the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) said the Sperrins was one of the main regions of Northern Ireland for cock-fighting.

He said he would not be surprised if cock-fighting was continuing in the south Derry area as it was one of the area’s their investigation included.

While he stressed it was an illegal, cruel blood sport, there was potential for a lot of money to change hands which ensued a following of people.

“Remote mountainous areas are usually where the fights take place,” he added.

Just last year the USPCA exposed a cock-fighting network which was meeting at clandestine venues across the province.

They uncovered a series of cock-fights, held on both sides of the border, and attended by men, women and children

One of these bloody duels discovered by the USPCA was held at Swatragh.

The shocking footage, shown by the BBC, showed people watching a cock-fight in a makeshift ring.

At the time the USPCA described the discovery as disturbing.

They said they had been “absolutely shocked and stunned” to find out the number of people involved and the amount of organisation that went into the fights.