£20,000 reward to convict eagle killers

A £20,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the conviction of those responsible for a missing white-tailed eagle that disappeared in Montgomeryshire last year.

The rare eagle’s satellite transmitter stopped working on September 13 and an investigation found it had been cut off and hidden on land close to the Gwgia Reservoir, Tregynon.

Dyfed-Powys Police only shared limited information, but local TV bird expert Iolo Williams gave away more, claiming the bird had been shot, an act he called a “disgrace to Mid Wales”.

The bird is one of three white-tailed eagles that are part of a reinduction project in England led by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation that have gone missing. Their disappearance is being investigated by several police forces and the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

In a bid to jog people’s memories, the RSPB has seen its £10,000 reward doubled by a private individual.

Dr James Robinson, RSPB Chief Operating Officer, said: “Eagle tag-data is so precise that the point of death and any subsequent movement of the tag will be known to investigators, so we urge the public to come forward with information.

“Raptor persecution has no place in modern society, let alone threatening such an important UK Government-backed reintroduction scheme like this.”

What is a white-tailed eagle?

White-tailed eagles were once found across the UK but became extinct in the early 20^th century due to human persecution. Thanks to a reintroduction project, white-tailed eagles returned to Scotland in 1975. There have been several more reintroductions in Scotland since then, and in 2019, white-tailed eagles were released on the Isle of Wight to support the bird’s return to England.