Authorities are investigating the disappearance of three white-tailed eagles that were part of a successful reintroduction programme in England.
One of the missing birds was a chick born in the wild this year in Sussex, among the first white-tailed eagles to fledge in the country in hundreds of years. Forestry England reported that satellite trackers from two of the birds were found in September, apparently cut off and discarded near their last known locations.
Since 2019, 37 white-tailed eagles have been released on the Isle of Wight. Several breeding pairs have since formed, producing six chicks in the wild—the first since the 1780s.
Forestry England said a satellite tag from a chick named G842 was recovered from the River Rother, near the Hampshire-Sussex border, on 26 September. The tag had been removed using a sharp instrument, and searches failed to locate the bird itself. Sussex Police have asked the public for any information regarding sightings or suspicious activity around Harting Down and Petersfield on 20 September.
The missing eagles were part of a joint project between Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation to reintroduce the species, which had been extinct in England for over 200 years. The foundation described the discoveries as “devastating.” Tim Mackrill of the charity said the eagles’ successful integration into the landscape had brought joy to the local community, making their sudden disappearance especially shocking.
Similar incidents are being investigated elsewhere: Dyfed Powys Police recovered a satellite tag for eagle G615 in remote moorland near Gwgia Reservoir, Tregynon, on 13 September, while Police Scotland are examining the disappearance of eagle G819, whose tag stopped transmitting on 8 November in the Moorfoot Hills.
Conservation group Birds of Poole Harbour condemned the illegal persecution of the birds as “sickening,” noting that the fledgling recolonisation of white-tailed eagles could be severely set back by such incidents. The group highlighted the importance of protecting these birds as their recovery across historic habitats remains in its early stages.
