Red Kite Put Down After Trap Injury
The bird was found on moorland near Stirling last week.
A red kite has had to be put down after it was seriously injured in an illegal trap.
The bird of prey was found in the trap on moorland near Stirling last Wednesday.
The injuries were so severe that it had to be put down by the Scottish SPCA, police said.
Officers said they are working to find those responsible for the trap and have appealed for any witnesses.
A police spokesman said: This was clearly an intentional act with the sole purpose of trapping this type of bird of prey. It was a very specific act for a very specific purpose.
Police Scotland's specialist wildlife crime liaison officers are investigating and working closely with landowners, the RSPB and the Scottish Raptor Study Group to identify those responsible.
We are asking people who live and work in the area, or who may have been visiting, to come forward if they saw anything or if they have any information that may help catch those responsible.''
The red kite remains on a list of conservation concerns in the UK.
Earlier this month, Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse said it was likely that 100 red kites had been killed in Scotland over the last 25 years.
He also condemned the ''horrendous'' poisoning of more than 20 birds of prey in northern Scotland last year.
A reward for information about the deaths of the 16 red kites and six buzzards in Ross-shire has reached £26,000.