A young female white-tailed eagle has been found shot dead near Cranberry Lough in County Roscommon, Ireland.
She was part of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) long-running reintroduction project and had been released at Lough Derg two years ago.
As part of the reintroduction project, the young eagles are fitted with satellite tags to monitor their movements. Information from this eagle’s tag suggest she was killed sometime between Monday evening and Tuesday morning on 11th/12th March 2024.
She’d been present in the area for the last few weeks, having previously travelled around the north and west of Ireland once she’d dispersed from Lough Derg almost a year ago.
Director General of the NPWS, Niall Ó Donnchú, said forensic examinations were being conducted which he hoped would provide more information about the weapon used to kill the eagle.
“I deplore this wanton act of violence against this beautiful and endangered bird. We’re asking for the public’s help in bringing the perpetrator of this heinous act of destruction to justice.”
Meanwhile, just over the border in Northern Ireland, the investigation is ongoing into the illegal poisoning of two white-tailed eagles, found dead last year on the only moor that’s managed for driven grouse shooting in NI (here).
Raptor Persecution UK 