Golden eagle ‘barely alive’ after being found shot near Southern Upland Way

A GOLDEN eagle has been found shot and ‘barely alive’ near the Southern Upland Way in Dumfriesshire.

RSPB Scotland condemned the shooting of the iconic bird of prey, which was found by a walker near the well known Scottish route.

Scottish SPCA inspectors took the adult male eagle to the charity’s new rehabilitation centre near Alloa where it is undergoing treatment.

They said it is too early to tell whether the bird, which was discovered on a grouse moor near Wanlockhead at the weekend, will survive its injuries.

Examination by vets showed shotgun pellets had caused injuries to the bird’s tail muscles and one of its wings.

The bird also had extensive damage to its feathers, suggesting that it had been floundering on the ground for some time and had been unable to feed.

The incident is the latest in a spate of attacks on golden eagles in Scotland.

Stuart Housden, director of RSPB Scotland, said: “With one golden eagle already found poisoned this year, and a second bird the apparent victim of an illegal trap, this is yet another appalling incident. Whoever pulled the trigger must have deliberately targeted one of our most iconic birds, with lethal intentions.

“Whoever it was has access to a shotgun, and the confidence to use it in this area. Much has been made of an apparent recent decline in the illegal poisoning of Scotland’s birds of prey, but this, and other recent criminal incidents, show that efforts to stamp out the illegal persecution of strictly protected wildlife have a considerable way to go.”