Newly-released evidence shows that a majestic satellite-tagged golden eagle brought to the region two years ago to help boost numbers was shot and disposed of.
Dr Cat Barlow, The South of Scotland Golden Eagle project manager, said: “We can confirm that Police Scotland has found clear evidence that a wildlife crime has been committed. They are confident Merrick’s disappearance was due to persecution.
“Looking at the evidence, Police Scotland believe she was shot, then fell to the ground, where she bled considerably through a single wound. Police Scotland believe that someone then removed her body and destroyed her satellite tag.”
She added: “The South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project is incredibly angry, upset and disappointed that her disappearance appears to have been at the hands of an individual or individuals who consider themselves above the law.”
The project – which helped designate Moffat as The Eagle Town for the UK – has had success in quadrupling the local population of Golden Eagles of which Merrick, named after the highest peak in the Southern Uplands and originally from the Rottal estate near Kirriemuir in the Angus Glens, was the fifth eagle to be brought in.
Before her disappearance, the project team’s round-the-clock surveillance of the golden eagles, showed that Merrick was thriving and exploring all over southern Scotland and northern England. She was even photographed on her trip in Weardale and filmed in Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
During the eight days before her disappearance, she was exploring the Moorfoot Hills in the Scottish Borders but her tag suddenly stopped transmitting on October 12.
After the non-transmission, eagle officer, John Wright, inspected the relatively bare branches of a Sitka Spruce – Merrick’s last known roosting spot where he found a small golden lanceolate shaped head feather, two small wing coverts and some white under-down laying on the moss directly below the tree.
Recalling his visit to the site, John said: “I saw a film of blood stretched across the grass stems. It subsequently turned out that a considerable amount of blood was present in and below the moss layer. As I stood back from the feather and blood location, I could see small downy feathers scattered in the dense spruce foliage below the roosting branches.”
Police Scotland, who promptly reached the site before weather destroyed any evidence to investigate the incident and were able to confidently eliminate most other potential causes of death or disappearance, and have determined that “the nature and pattern of feathers and blood, and all other evidence” indicated that Merrick was “shot and killed”.
Chairman of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, Dumfriesshire farmer Michael Clarke, added: “Whoever committed this deplorable wildlife crime should hang their heads in shame. We are grateful to Police Scotland for their support and using all the resources at their disposal to establish the full circumstances. We remain more determined than ever to establish a sustainable population of golden eagles in the South of Scotland.”
Detective Sergeant David Lynn, Police Scotland wildlife crime co-ordinator, said: “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. I urge anyone with any information to contact us through 101 quoting reference number 1193 of 18 October.”
