Police investigate after suspicious disappearance of majestic rare eagles

POLICE are investigating after the suspicious disappearance of a rare bird of prey whose species is being reintroduced into Wales after being hunted to extinction in Britain.

- RUTH MOSALSKI and EMILY BEAMENT

The white-tailed eagle which went missing in mid Wales

Dyfed-Powys Police and the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) are jointly investigating the suspicious disappearance of a huge white-tailed eagle and the theft and disposal of its satellite tag and harness.

The majestic bird is one of three white-tailed eagles, including one of the first wild chicks to fledge in England in centuries, which have disappeared in suspicious circumstances.

The satellite trackers of two of the birds - including a youngster which fledged this summer - were found dumped close to their last recorded location, and both had been cut off, while the tracker on the third eagle has stopped sending data and there have been no sightings since.

White-tailed eagles - nicknamed flying barn doors because of their wingspan of up to 8ft (2.4m) - were once widespread in southern England until the 18th century, when persecution led to them being wiped out in the region. They are now being reintroduced across the country.

A project by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation began reintroducing the birds on the Isle of Wight in 2019, with 45 white-tailed eagles released since then.