Animal welfare groups have spoken out against Madonna for allegedly being a murderous bloodsports enthusiast and importing 1000 baby pheasants from France for the shooting season. They are apparently just a fraction of the total amount - around 32,000, apparently - to be shipped to the star's estate to mature before being HUNTED DOWN and KILLED.
It's said, however, that Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie have themselves given up shooting, but they still allow friends to enjoy the sport on their grounds.
Andrew Tyler, director of Animal Aid says: "Shame on Madonna. She thinks that when she puts on her plus fours she is part of the landed gentry. But this is not in harmony with nature. It is the production of factory birds to provide a live shooting gallery."
A spokeswoman for Madonna said: "Both Madonna and Guy have stopped shooting. We can confirm that the estate got 1,000 birds from France as an experiment this year but we won't be doing it again."