google-site-verification: googlec7193c3de77668c9.html

White-tailed eagle disappearance ‘deeply shocking’

Advertisements

The disappearance of a white-tailed eagle in the Southern Uplands is being treated as suspicious by police.

The satellite-tagged bird has spent most of its time between Peebles and Heriot in the Scottish Borders since March this year but was recently tracked on lower ground to the north of the Moorfoot Hills near Gladhouse Reservoir in Midlothian.

However, after its tag stopped working in “circumstances that give rise to suspicion'”, Police Scotland wildlife crime officers and colleagues from the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit carried out searches of the area.

They failed to find any trace of the eagle and the public is now being asked to come forward with any information.

Wildlife crime officer, PC Ali Whitby, said: “This is a huge iconic bird of prey that chose to fly hundreds of miles north and settle in the Moorfoot Hills.

”Being so big its presence was known to people working and living in the area and it thrived for eight months; the fact it has now gone missing in suspicious circumstances is extremely disappointing.”

The four-year-old bird was translocated as a chick from Scotland to the Isle of Wight, as part of a reintroduction programme with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation.

The eagle then made its way back to Scotland before settling in the Moorfoot Hills.

It is the third white-tailed eagle connected to the programme to have disappeared, with the other two located in England and Wales.

A spokesperson from the foundation called the disappearances “sickening and deeply shocking”.


BBC News

Views: 0

See also  Hundreds of university staff to vote on strike action

Check Also

Scotcast – Will university strikes ever end?

Available for over a year If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like …

Driver arrested as two police officers injured in hit-and-run

The driver was initially stopped by police in Hamilton before crashing while attempting to flee …

Drone footage reveals full extent of garage fire destruction

One person was treated for the effects of breathing in smoke at the blaze in …

Leave a Reply

Available for Amazon Prime
Our free link building tool gives you instant access to contextual links from thousands of websites worldwide.