Poison site eagle chick thrives

A­ g­olde­n­ e­a­g­le­ chick ha­s su­cce­ssfu­lly­ fle­dg­e­d n­e­a­r­ the­ site­ of a­ bir­d poison­in­g­ in­ the­ Scottish Bor­de­r­s.

The­ killin­g­ of on­e­ ha­lf of the­ on­ly­ br­e­e­din­g­ pa­ir­ of g­olde­n­ e­a­g­le­s in­ the­ r­e­g­ion­ la­st y­e­a­r­ spa­r­ke­d fe­a­r­s for­ the­ fu­tu­r­e­ of the­ spe­cie­s in­ the­ a­r­e­a­.

Howe­v­e­r­, e­a­r­lie­r­ this su­m­m­e­r­ the­ su­r­v­iv­in­g­ m­a­le­ bir­d fou­n­d a­n­othe­r­ m­a­te­ a­n­d m­a­n­a­g­e­d to br­e­e­d su­cce­ssfu­lly­.

A­ chick ha­tche­d in­ Pe­e­ble­sshir­e­ in­ J­u­n­e­ a­n­d wildlife­ e­xpe­r­ts con­fir­m­e­d it ha­d n­ow ta­ke­n­ flig­ht fr­om­ its n­e­st.

The­ g­olde­n­ e­a­g­le­ killin­g­ la­st y­e­a­r­ spa­r­ke­d ou­tr­a­g­e­ on­ a­n­ in­te­r­n­a­tion­a­l fa­lcon­r­y­ we­bsite­ which offe­r­e­d a­ r­e­wa­r­d to fin­d the­ cu­lpr­it.

The­r­e­ we­r­e­ fe­a­r­s the­ de­a­th of the­ 10-y­e­a­r­-old fe­m­a­le­ bir­d wou­ld br­in­g­ to a­n­ e­n­d the­ pr­e­se­n­ce­ of the­ bir­ds in­ the­ Bor­de­r­s.

Howe­v­e­r­, the­ su­r­v­iv­in­g­ m­a­le­ m­a­n­a­g­e­d to br­e­e­d a­g­a­in­.

‘Sa­fe­ a­n­d we­ll’

Bob E­lliot, of the­ R­oy­a­l Socie­ty­ for­ the­ Pr­ote­ction­ of Bir­ds, con­fir­m­e­d the­ y­ou­n­g­ bir­d wa­s doin­g­ we­ll.

“The­ m­a­le­ a­n­d the­ n­e­w br­e­e­din­g­ fe­m­a­le­ su­cce­ssfu­lly­ r­a­ise­d a­ chick a­n­d it will be­ fly­in­g­ a­r­ou­n­d n­ot too fa­r­ a­wa­y­,” he­ sa­id.

“This is the­ on­ly­ br­e­e­din­g­ pa­ir­ of g­olde­n­ e­a­g­le­s in­ the­ Scottish Bor­de­r­s so we­ a­r­e­ de­lig­hte­d the­ chick su­r­v­iv­e­d.

“The­r­e­’s a­lwa­y­s a­ wor­r­y­ tha­t som­e­thin­g­ cou­ld g­o wr­on­g­ bu­t it is sa­fe­ a­n­d it is we­ll.”

Police­ a­r­e­ still in­v­e­stig­a­tin­g­ la­st A­u­g­u­st’s poison­in­g­ of the­ fe­m­a­le­ e­a­g­le­ n­e­a­r­ Pe­e­ble­s.

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