Rare eagle found poisoned near grouse moor

A rare golden eagle has been poisoned, a wildlife conservation charity said yesterday. The female bird was found dead near a grouse moor in the Borders.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland described the killing as "sickening", saying the pair of birds were raising a chick whose life was now at risk.

The charity is offering a £1,000 reward to help catch the killer, with wildlife crime police leading a joint inquiry. Also involved are the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Scottish executive.

The dead bird was nine or 10 years old, and is thought to have been killed by a poison involving the banned substance carbofuran. She was found on the same day as the official start of the grouse shooting season.

In the past illegal poisons have been used to control birds.

Bob Elliot, RSPB Scotland's head of investigations, said: "Sadly, illegal persecution of birds of prey continues to be a shameful fact of life in parts of Scotland in the 21st century, and unfortunately the evidence shows there is a correlation between the location of grouse moors and the incidence of raptor poisoning.

"Now, after nine or 10 years together, the Borders has lost its only breeding pair of golden eagles."

The Borders area has been described as a "black hole" for the bird of prey, with just two more breeding pairs in southern Scotland. There are thought to be approximately 420 pairs of golden eagles in Scotland.