No evidence of wrongdoing in golden eagle's death
Last updated 27th Apr 2023
It's claimed there's no evidence a golden eagle found dead on the Queensberry Estate in Dumfries and Galloway had deliberately come to harm, or contracted bird flu.
The grim find was reported to police by a member of the local game-keeping team in February.
But the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project has revealed a pathological investigation has found no definitive cause of death.
The Veterinary Investigation Centre at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) in Dumfries conducted a variety of tests - toxicology, histopathology, virology, bacteriology and parasitology.
While the investigation found no wrongdoing, it concluded that the eagle - named Sula - had been in “very fit condition” before her death.
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Speaking about the findings, Dr Cat Barlow, from the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, said: “Though we are of course very sad that Sula has died, it is reassuring for the local golden eagle population that this thorough investigation found no evidence of avian flu or other potential causes, and that Sula had clearly been thriving before her death. Like any species, golden eagles can die suddenly for a number of reasons, including natural causes.
“Overall, the golden eagles translocated by our project have a fantastic survival rate. We have helped to more than triple the golden eagle population in the south of Scotland to the highest number recorded in the area for three centuries. We continue to closely monitor the health and wellbeing of the golden eagles that we have released as they settle and explore some of the region’s long-empty historical ranges.
“We would like to thank Police Scotland and The Veterinary Investigation Centre at SRUC for conducting a thorough investigation of Sula’s death, and the team at Queensberry Estate for supporting this by reporting the incident so quickly. The willingness of estates, such as Buccleuch Estates, to work closely with our Project team over a long period has played a key role in our project’s success.”
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Earlier this month, it was reported the team behind the breeding programme have built two new artificial nesting sites on the Duke of Northumberland’s Burncastle Estate, near the Lammermuir Hills, to help grow numbers of the bird of prey in the south of Scotland.
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Benny Higgins, executive chairman of Buccleuch, which manages the Queensberry Estate, added: “Buccleuch work closely with the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project in the local area. We are extremely proud of our record in recent years of helping rebuild the population and look forward to continuing to do so in the years ahead.”
For the latest project news, or to donate to the charity initiative, visit: www.goldeneaglessouthofscotland.co.uk