Police reveal they're treating disappearance of Golden Eagle as 'suspicious'
Police say they're treating the disappearance of a Golden Eagle in the Scottish Borders as "suspicious".
The satellite-tagged bird of prey was last seen in the area to the west of Fountainhall - between Heriot and Stow - on Thursday, October the 12th.
But a full search of the area has ended without any trace of the raptor and officers now believe it has come to harm.
Enquiries are continuing and detectives are today (Monday) appealing to the public for help.
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Detective Sergeant David Lynn, Police Scotland Wildlife Crime Coordinator, said: “Since the report was made, officers have been working with a range of partner agencies to establish more details and gather further information to establish the circumstances.
“The bird was last seen in the area to the west of Fountainhall, between Heriot and Stow on Thursday, October 12th. A full search of this area was carried out and officers believe the bird has come to harm and are treating its disappearance as suspicious.
“We are determined to protect these magnificent birds. We work closely with a number of partners to tackle wildlife crime, which can be challenging and complex to investigate."
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101, quoting reference number 1193 of October 18th. Alternatively, information can be passed on anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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Earlier this year, we reported the number of golden eagles in southern Scotland have risen to their highest in 300 years - thanks to an initiative which has seen chicks relocated from other parts of the country.
Before the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project began, there were believed to only be between two and four pairs of golden eagles across Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders.
But, following the arrival of eight more chicks in the summer, there are now 46 - the highest number recorded in the area for three centuries and more than quadruple previous counts.
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Alex Hogg, chairman of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, said: “The SGA strongly condemns wildlife crime in all its forms. Everyone who has supported the South Scotland Golden Eagle project will be extremely disappointed at this news.
"As an organisation our support is reflected in the fact that 23 of the project's 28 donor eaglets have come from gamekeeper-managed estates. We remain proud of that involvement and will continue our support."
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