Scottish police hunt culprit after four-year-old golden eagle found with shotgun injuries
The rare bird has since made a full recovery after being shot in the wing.
Police have launched an appeal after a golden eagle was found with shotgun wounds in the south of Scotland.
Four-year-old Hamlet, who was relocated to the Scottish Borders from the Outer Hebrides in 2023, was discovered by a gamekeeper in an estate near Stanhope on January 20 with shotgun pellets to its wing.
After reviewing satellite tracking data, police said they believe the rare bird was shot during the first week of January in an area between Stanhope and Glenbreck, off the A701 road.
Despite his injuries, Hamlet made a full recovery after being treated by a vet and has since been released back into the wild.
Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Detective Sergeant David Lynn, national wildlife crime co-ordinator at Police Scotland, said: “It is extremely disappointing that we are investigating another golden eagle persecution crime.
“Very few people would have the means, opportunity and motive to commit this crime and I would urge anyone with any information to contact us so we can identify whoever is responsible for shooting Hamlet.”
In October 2023, a golden eagle called Merrick went missing from its usual hunting grounds across southern Scotland and northern England. Police later said they believed the female raptor had been shot.
In September, detectives launched an appeal after a four-year-old golden eagle called Tarras disappeared in the hills to the north of Langholm, with data from his tag suggesting he “could have come to harm”.
Officers said wildlife partners had subsequently been unable to trace Tarras’s mate Wren.