POLICE are searching for the killer of a white-tailed eagle found poisoned on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park.
The raptor was recovered from Donside, Aberdeenshire, in April.
White-tailed sea eagles are extremely rare in Scotland. They were re-introduced in the 1970s after becoming extinct in the UK in the early 1900s. There are now just 150 breeding pairs in Scotland.
Police Inspector Sheila McDerment, who chairs the North East Partnership Against Wildlife Crime, said:“As well as being illegal, poisoning is a cruel way to kill a bird. It also puts the lives of other creatures and plants at risk and impacts negatively on our environment.
“This incident is particularly upsetting because these rare and beautiful birds had been re-introduced to Scotland after being extinct throughout the UK."
Ian Thomson, RSPB Scotland’s Head of Investigations said: “The news that this bird has been illegally poisoned is appalling. This crime would never have come to light had the bird not been fitted with a satellite tag, and the killing of this young eagle can be added to a litany of raptor persecution incidents in recent years, including previous poisonings and multiple disappearances of similarly-tagged birds of prey.
"Poisoning is vicious and indiscriminate and we join with Police Scotland in appealing for information.”
The chairman of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, Alex Hogg, said the news was extremely disappointing.
He said: “Given the major progress made in virtually eradicating illegal wildlife poisoning in Scotland, hearing this news is extremely disappointing. The SGA condemns it wholeheartedly
He added: “This incident sets back considerable progress made by stakeholders over the last decade- and more- in addressing poisoning. The SGA fully supported the Scottish Government’s illegal pesticide amnesty in 2015 and continues to educate on this subject.
“We acknowledge Sea eagles can pose problems in land management; something which is well documented, but this is absolutely the wrong way to address a conflict. The SGA reiterates its condemnation.”
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