Killing of 2 Golden Eagles

[daviddd]

I was saddened by the death by poisoning of two of these magnificent and rare birds on the Glenfeshie estate in the Cairngorms recently. I've just been reading about eagles in Jim Crumley's excellent book "A High and Lonely Place", in which he describes vividly his observations of them near Cairngorm, depicting vividly their mastery of their environment; feared by most creatures. We saw a golden eagle at close quarters in a falconry display at Dunrobin Castle a couple of weeks ago and whilst i do not necessarily condone their captivity (this one may have been nursed back from injury for all I know) they are wondeful to look at.

There's a reward of £1000 for information leading to the killings; I dearly hope the culprits are caught and punished.

[Yvonne]

I am also saddened by such a callous and heinous act. Magnificently, splendid birds. The perpetrators are not sick, they cannot use such an excuse! They are EVIL doers.There is nothing hidden that wont be revealed. Let's pray and hope that they will be caught soon!

[Countryman]

The people responsible should be made to pay - but why has it taken the RSPB taken almost 6 months to publise the death of these Eagles what has been going on. What have they been doing - the chances of catching the people now will be a lot harder than if it was made public when it happened.

[daviddd]

I hadn't realised it happened 6 months ago. Maybe they kept it quiet whilst they underwent covert investigations? I guess we all have our suspicions who caused this but can't say on here otherwise the thread will be deleted, sub judice and all that.

[compo]

well this is the estate that shoots deer all year round male and female. because they have planted old calidonian forrest and deemed not to fence it

[jaykay]

I was also saddened to read about the poisoning of the eagles. I think it is pretty obvious to everyone who carries out the poisoning. i.e. employees of the sporting estates in whos interest it is to kill all raptors in order to preserve game birds. I beleive that the owners of any estates where it has been proved that protected birds have been illegally killed should get a huge fine along with a lengthy prison sentence. This would be in addition to the sentence handed out to their employees who actually carry out the deed.

[j4bberw0ck]

I think it is pretty obvious to everyone who carries out the poisoning. i.e. employees of the sporting estates in whos interest it is to kill all raptors in order to preserve game birds. I beleive that the owners of any estates where it has been proved that protected birds have been illegally killed should get a huge fine along with a lengthy prison sentence. This would be in addition to the sentence handed out to their employees who actually carry out the deed.

Interested in your idea of justice. Do you also believe, for instance, that if a friend or relative of yours drives your car and gets a speeding fine, you should receive a separate, larger fine and more points, because it was your car? If the estate owner ordered the killings, that's different; but if an estate employee simply took an easy way out........ there are also many recorded incidents of crofters and farmers poisoning eagles because they take lambs; how should they (the crofters and farmers) be punished? Long jail terms? Huge fines?

I'm as angry as anyone alse about eagles and other large birds of prey being poisoned and shot but let's not throw 1000 years of trying to build a justice system completely out of the window. The government's working hard enough on doing it and doesn't need our help! :lol: Emotiional responses aren't helpful, really. (PS I'm not taking a pop at you; just trying to point out that deciding on long jail terms and huge fines for people who perhaps have nothing to do with commission of a crime is a dangerous precedent).

[jaykay]

Yes. Crofters and Farmers should also get huge fines and lenghty jail sentences if they have been convicted of poisoning eagles. The same law applies to everyone so why should they be any different? OK I agree my statement that the estate owners should be severely punished is a bit OTT but my reasoning behind it is because i beleive that in many cases the estate owners are aware that their staff are killing raptors. I also beleive if these estate owners instructed their employees not to do it then this would go some way to ending the illegal killing of birds of prey.

[j4bberw0ck]

Yes. Crofters and Farmers should also get huge fines and lenghty jail sentences if they have been convicted of poisoning eagles.

I was going to ask how this would stack up against the sentences handed out for child abuse or mugging little old ladies, but that would be off topic so I apologise........:eek::lol:


I also beleive if these estate owners instructed their employees not to do it then this would go some way to ending the illegal killing of birds of prey.

Now that's something we can agree on wholeheartedly. Well said!

[MadPict]

Interested in your idea of justice..... but if an estate employee simply took an easy way out........

If the employer allows the employee to use a banned poison, the possession of which is an offence in itself, then definately they should be as culpable...


It is understood that both birds were poisoned using illegal carbofuran poison. Possession of this substance is in itself a crime. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/5271990.stm

But it is a shameful act - even if they take lambs it is no reason to poison or shoot them. I'm not sure if any system exists but if a farmer can prove that they are losing livestock to a protected species then they should be compensated for that loss. And I expect they lose as many lambs to disease or other predators as they do to Golden Eagles....

[r.rackstraw]

well this is the estate that shoots deer all year round male and female. because they have planted old calidonian forrest and deemed not to fence it

These remarks about Glenfeshie are not strictly accurate. The plantings there are commercial plantations and are fenced. The problem is that outside the fences there are remnants of the caledonian forest which have suffered form high deer numbers. Glenfeshie has been badly managed for decades by a succession of owners. Because the Estate was unable or unwilling to reduce deer numbers the Deer Commission stepped in and carried our their own cull.

[_Ju_]

. We saw a golden eagle at close quarters in a falconry display at Dunrobin Castle a couple of weeks ago and whilst i do not necessarily condone their captivity (this one may have been nursed back from injury for all I know) they are wondeful to look at.

.

If I remember correctly the only wild born eagle at Dunrobin was a Chilean (or another South American country) found badly injured after an attempt at illegal export. The bird's wing was so badly damaged that the flight feathers (remiges?) cannot grow back. It couldn't live in the wild like that so it had to be kept in captivity. It can however fly because he has had flight feathers from another bird attached to where his are supposed to be.

The falconry display at Dunrobin is fantastic.

[daviddd]

If I remember correctly the only wild born eagle at Dunrobin was a Chilean (or another South American country) found badly injured after an attempt at illegal export. The bird's wing was so badly damaged that the flight feathers (remiges?) cannot grow back. It couldn't live in the wild like that so it had to be kept in captivity. It can however fly because he has had flight feathers from another bird attached to where his are supposed to be.

The falconry display at Dunrobin is fantastic.Spot on Ju, I remember the falconer explaining that now. You're right about the falconry display, really worthwhile seeing. I saw it about 5 years ago and again 2 weeks ago. The guy has real respect for his birds you can tell.