Police investigate after white-tailed eagles go missing across UK

"One of the first white-tailed eagles to fledge in England for hundreds of years has vanished in suspicious circumstances, alongside two more devastating disappearances of the reintroduced raptor. Police are appealing for public help as they investigate the disappearances, which are a setback to the bird's successful reintroduction. Their disappearance is being investigated by several police forces and the National Wildlife Crime Unit."

"It is thought someone could have harmed or killed the birds, as the satellite trackers that allow the reintroduction team to track their location and movements had been cut off. Two of the eagles had their trackers cut off with a sharp instrument with the equipment found dumped near their last recorded location. In the third case, the tag stopped sending information on 8 November and no sighting of the bird has been recorded since."

"White-tailed eagles are Britain's biggest bird of prey. They were driven to extinction in Britain in the early 20th century, after being shot and poisoned to protect shooting interests. Conservationist Roy Dennis and his foundation have been working with Forestry England to return the birds to England, and since 2019, 45 white-tailed eagles have been released. Several breeding pairs have formed, with six chicks being born in the wild for the first time since the 1780s."

Three reintroduced white-tailed eagles have vanished in suspicious circumstances across Sussex, Wales and Scotland, threatening the species' recent recovery in Britain. Satellite tracking data indicate two birds had their trackers deliberately cut with a sharp instrument and the equipment was found dumped near their last recorded locations. A third bird's tag stopped sending information on 8 November and no sightings have been recorded since. Police forces and the National Wildlife Crime Unit are investigating and appealing for public assistance. Since 2019, 45 white-tailed eagles have been released and six wild chicks have been born.

Read at www.theguardian.com