Dead golden eagle found cut up inside bag in Stirling as cops launch probe

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Police are investigating after a butchered golden eagle was found dead in Stirling.

The horrific discovery was made on a forestry track off A81 near Loch Rusky, north east of Port of Menteith at around 11am on Tuesday, July 30.

It was wrapped in a plastic bag and police say that parts of its body had been removed. Enquiries have been ongoing, however cops are now appealing for help to find out how it came to be there.

Golden eagles are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Attacks on birds of prey appear to be on the rise. Between 2009-2023 there were 400 confirmed incidents of bird of prey persecution in Scotland. Birds such as Golden Eagles, Hen Harriers, White-tailed Eagles and Goshawks, all of which have nationally or internationally important populations here, were shot, trapped and illegally killed. And those are just the crimes which were reported.

A report by the Royal Society for the Protection of birds (RSPB) found that most of these incidents were associated with land managed for game bird shooting. Earlier this year, new measures were introduced by the Scottish Parliament in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act to licence all grouse shooting, including greater protection for birds of prey.

However, it is clear that even with this new legislation in place, birds of prey are still being targeted and deliberately killed.

The RSPB are now calling on the Scottish Government to seize the opportunity of the new legislation to stop the persecution of some of our most highly protected bird species once and for all.

Last month a man was convicted of illegally flogging peregrine falcon chicks and was ordered to pay back £27,000 he made from selling the birds of prey. Lewis Hall, from Berwick-Upon-Tweed, sold the birds, which were snatched from the wild, from his home or sums of up to £25,700. Hall was brought to justice earlier this year after DNA evidence taken from the nests of birds linked back to the 24-year-old culprit.

He was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work over 15 months and was banned from possessing or having any bird of prey under his control for five years.

Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for specialist casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: "The sale of peregrine falcons has become an extremely lucrative business. Lewis Hall took advantage of that for his own financial gain and to the detriment of the wild peregrine falcon population in the South of Scotland.

“However, even after a conviction was secured in this matter, the Crown commenced Proceeds of Crime action to ensure the funds Hall obtained illegally were pursued. Prosecution of those involved in financial crime does not stop at criminal conviction and sentencing."

Anyone with information about the dead Golden Eagle is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1166 of 30/07/24 or make a call anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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