In the aftermath of yet another illegal killing - this time the death by poison of a Golden Eagle in Argyll’s beautiful Glen Orchy, the RSPB says that it sees no evidence of any decline in the persecution of Scotland’s precious raptor population.

Some walkers happened upon the corpse of the eagle on Bein Udlaidh and – responsibly – reported it to RSPB Scotland, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) confirmed that the bird had been poisoned with toxic insecticide.

As a result of the incident, police form 3 forces worked with RSP officers to make a thorough search of Beinn Udlaidh and of premises in both the Glen Orchy and Bridge of Orchy environs.

Strathclyde Police say that, following this search, they are engaged in a positive line of enquiry.

Coordinator of the search operation and Wildlife Crime Officer for North Argyll, Constable Steven McAleer is asking people to keep their eyes open for dead raptors in the countryside. His advice is that any such corpse should not be touched but, where possible, should be covered with grasses and branches to disguise its presence from carrion birds and animals who might see it, eat it and not only destroy the evidence but die themselves.

It is almost exclusively landowners who engage in this illegal act – usually because they see raptors as a threat to their game birds. There are two particular estates in Perth and Angus where repeated poisonings are known to the authoriotes. It was the owner of one of these who, in 2008,  became the first to be successfully prosecuted for the crime.

The intention of such landowners and their staff is clear. The RSPB’s Head of Investigations, Bob Elliot, points out that it something other than a bird was the targetm the poisoned bait would be laid in a woodland area rather than out in the wide-open spaces like those around Glen Orchy.

Bob Elliot points out that a great danger of poisoned bait is that it is indiscriminate. A dog, cat or curious child coming across such bait will be killed by it as surely as the raptor it is meant to dispatch.

With the significant contribution made to its economy by wildlife tourism, Argyll cannot afford to tolerate such behaviour. Dave Sexton, RSPB Scotland’s Mull Officer and involved with  the renowned Eagle Hide at Loch Frisa (focused on Golden Eagles and Sea Eagles), says: ‘This is yet more horrific news for our wildlife and it’s an act that the person responsible should be thoroughly ashamed of. Wildlife crime like poisoning eagles should have no place in a modern Scotland.

Let’s hope Strathclyde Police make rapid progress with their investigation. Only a few weeks ago our satellite tagged female sea eagle Breagha spent some time not far from this area. This further shocking development brings it home to us all how vulnerable eagles are once they leave the relative safety of somewhere like Mull.

‘There will be someone out there who knows who did this. Please don’t protect them. Good men and women should stand up and be counted. This is not part of some proud farming or gamekeepering tradition.

‘There are bad apples and they need exposing for what they are. Call the police or Crimestoppers and get this dispicable crime stopped before any more eagles – let alone pets, working dogs or children – are harmed’.

The photograph of one of Mull’s Golden Eagles above is by copright hoder Iain Erskine and cannot be reproduced without permission.

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• First picture: Mull’s 2009 Sea Eagle chicks (1)
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