Row over ‘suspicious’ loss of tagged golden eagle Fred

A row has broken out between gamekeepers and conservationists over the fate of a young golden eagle that went missing near a sporting estate on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

Members of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) have hit out, claiming they have been subjected to a “trial by media” after the satellite-tagged bird’s disappearance was reported.

They say suggestions that the protected bird was illegally killed and dumped in the North Sea to safeguard sport shooting “do not stack up”.

The spat erupted after naturalist and TV presenter Chris

PAISLEY

Packham released a video detailing how a tag fitted to a one-year-old golden eagle named Fred had ceased transmitting near a grouse shooting moor in the Pentland hills, only to spring back into action three days later from a spot 15 miles off the Fife coast.

Mr Packham described Fred’s disappearance as “highly suspicious” given the proximity of his last known location to an area where wildlife crimes were known to have taken place in the past.

Scottish environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham also appears in the short film, urgingestateworkersinvolved in illegal persecution of birds of prey to “stop it”.

Now gamekeepers are calllightthekillingofbirdsofprey. ing for clarity over the incident and an en end to speculation.

An SGA spokesman said: “Everyone who has been drawn into this needs the truth as to what happened to this eagle.

“It is not enough for people to be implied as being criminals and those in possession of the satellite tag evidence to walk away after presenting their judgment to the media, then say no-one will probably ever know what has happened.

“If the tags are as reliable as everyone has been told, then the tag data will surely provide conclusive evidence.”

Fred was tagged in a project involving the Springwatch presenter and Raptor Persecution UK, a group set up to high- He was the sole chick born last year to the only pair of golden eagles known to be nesting in southern Scotland.

Dr Ruth Tingay from Raptor Persecution UK described the gamekeepers’ outrage as “laughable”. She says further information retrieved from the tag corroborates suspicions that Fred was a victim of wildlife crime and has been handed over to investigators.

She added: “If the SGA used its time and resources more productively to root out the criminals within the gameshooting industry, eagles like Fred would stand a much better chance of survival.”

Police confirmed an investigation has been launched.