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More sad news on the raptor front (1 Viewer)

Golden eagle 'was killed by trap'

Shocking news.

Full article here.

A golden eagle suffered a lingering death after its legs were broken by a trap, RSPB Scotland has said.

The bird had been fitted with a satellite transmitter which showed it had not moved for several days.

Its body was found, lying face down with its wings folded, under a tree and close to a lay-by on a quiet country road near Aboyne on Deeside.

RSPB Scotland has offered a £1,000 reward for information that leads to a successful prosecution in the case.
 
Your anger is shared.....

I am the keeper; I live in high country, in murky estates that reach to the moors. I am
the scumbag and there's blood on my hands, but times must turn and they can't come too soon for the eagle.
All those who see me, and all who dis-believe in me, share in the abhorrence you feel when I kill for sport”
 
The wanton cruelty inflicted on the young eagle makes this case particualry disturbing:(. God knows how many other birds are being killed by these illegal traps!! this bird was only found cos it was tagged.
 
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In case anyone hasn't read the article in the link, the implication here is that the bird was caught in a spring trap in Glen Esk, found 15 hours later by the person who set the trap, then driven 40 miles and discarded alive but crippled near a roadside lay-by where it died 4-5 days later.

Even by the usual standards of widlife criminals this is an appallingly shocking example of animal cruelty and a crime against conservation.

It looks as though the chances of a prosecution are low unless someone with some knowledge does the decent thing (unlikely). If no prosecution is forthcoming I hope that the full details of this bird's last movements are publicised, so that we know where exactly in Glen Esk the bird spent the 15 hours before it's overnight move to Aboyne. At least one estate in Glen Esk has form as far as dead Golden Eagles are concerned - it would be interesting to know if the same estate is linked to the current story.
 
Capercaillie71 said:
If no prosecution is forthcoming I hope that the full details of this bird's last movements are publicised, so that we know where exactly in Glen Esk the bird spent the 15 hours before it's overnight move to Aboyne.
Click to expand...

Thats a good point Paul and I hope the Grampian and Tayside Police are conducting a full Investigation Into these "Sporting Estates" In the Glen Esk area and search warrants are granted for all premises.This kind of thing makes me sick to the bone and I hope whoever Is responsible Is brought to justice (unlikely) as this kind of thing Is almost becoming a yearly event up here.

No doubt,we shall have someone from the SGA being quoted as saying,you cant point the finger at us.Pathetic people,they really are.
 
Absolutely gutted to read this article. The person responsible must be found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law
 
Capercaillie71 said:
I hope that the full details of this bird's last movements are publicised, so that we know where exactly in Glen Esk the bird spent the 15 hours before it's overnight move to Aboyne. At least one estate in Glen Esk has form as far as dead Golden Eagles are concerned - it would be interesting to know if the same estate is linked to the current story.
Click to expand...

If this website is to be believed, it is the same estate where Alma the Golden Eagle was found poisoned in 2009. Supposedly the owner put the estate on the market last year, possibly because of the scrutiny they were receiving regarding wildlife crime, but then took it off the market when they shot 5000 brace of grouse off it last season:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...e-after-excellent-grouse-shooting-season.html

Ben Nevis said:
No doubt,we shall have someone from the SGA being quoted as saying,you cant point the finger at us.Pathetic people,they really are.
Click to expand...

They already seem to be trying to suggest that there are doubts about what really happened, without offering any reason:

http://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/content/sga-statement-eagle-death-deeside
 
BBC news report quotes from a SGA spokesman :-

"As an organisation we have been extremely pleased at the dramatic fall in bird of prey abuse cases in Scotland, with only two confirmed cases in 2012, and will continue to work towards there being none."

I find this almost as galling as the death of yet another Golden Eagle.

Maybe what the SGA mean is that they won't rest until the figures of proven crime reach zero and the Scottish judiciary are dismissive of all such crimes. SGA just might need to stop smoking whatever they're on and admit that they're dealing with an ice berg.
 
I read these stories and my first reaction is anger, then sadness followed by the feeling of frustration.

It's a pity that a network of trusted people can't be setup and be given access to live tracking data and respond to abnormal behaviour.

The lack of response can’t help in the search for whoever has committed this crime, I can’t understand why it took so long to go and find out what was happening in this case.

Satellite tracking is probably as state of the art as we can go for now and it doesn’t look as if we’re using the technology to best effect.

Something needs to be done to make life difficult for the killers as they currently have no incentive to stop what they are doing. In this case it is known where the Eagle was for 15 hours so why is the land owner not being prosecuted?

Even if the land owner is innocent a few prosecutions will make others aware that they might be the next person to be prosecuted and that might make them more interested in what happens on the land they own. If somebody was doing something on my land which could make me liable for prosecution, I’d make it my business to know who was doing it.

The way I see it is that the killing of Birds of Prey will stop for one of two reasons.

Either the killers want to stop, or life becomes so unbearable for them that they have to stop. At this time, neither is true and at this time we all know that it’s only a matter of time until the next story is highlighted on here and we’re all reading it with disgust and that is a shocking state of affairs.
 
Mickr said:
The lack of response can’t help in the search for whoever has committed this crime, I can’t understand why it took so long to go and find out what was happening in this case.

Satellite tracking is probably as state of the art as we can go for now and it doesn’t look as if we’re using the technology to best effect.
Click to expand...

I wondered about that too, but perhaps the satellite service provider only provides the data every few days? It would be useful to know if this is the case from the RSPB or other people involved in satellite tracking.
 
Can I suggest that anyone who is outraged by this incident email Scotland's environment minister Paul Wheelhouse ([email protected]) mentioning this case specifically and asking him what further measures he plans to bring an end to this type of crime.

If you are Scottish please also copy to your MSP and if you are not Scottish but visit Scotland to see wildlife and spend money here in the process, please also mention this
as it reinforces the value of our wildlife to the economy.
 
Capercaillie71 said:
Can I suggest that anyone who is outraged by this incident email Scotland's environment minister Paul Wheelhouse ([email protected]) mentioning this case specifically and asking him what further measures he plans to bring an end to this type of crime.

If you are Scottish please also copy to your MSP and if you are not Scottish but visit Scotland to see wildlife and spend money here in the process, please also mention this
as it reinforces the value of our wildlife to the economy.
Click to expand...

Our UK Northern Kites Project 2004 -09 brought in £2.4 million to the local economy.
Are the guilty parties so blinkered that they cannot see the long-term advantages of encouraging Wildlife?
 
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