Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Three white-tailed eagles, including a chick representing the first wild-born generation in England for centuries, have disappeared under highly suspicious circumstances.
Authorities are now appealing for public assistance as police investigate the fate of the birds, Integral part of a vital reintroduction programme.
Satellite tags of two eagles – one of which was a recently hatched young – were found discarded near their last known locations, both having been deliberately separated.
The tracker of the third bird has stopped transmitting data, with no sightings reported since.
These magnificent raptors are often called ‘flying barn doors’ due to their impressive 8 feet (2.4 m) wingspan, They were once prevalent throughout southern England until persecution led to their eradication in the 18th century.
A collaborative effort between Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation began their reintroduction on the Isle of Wight in 2019, with 45 white-tailed eagles released to date.
The project has been a significant success, with several breeding pairs formed and six chicks hatched in the wild in England – a milestone that has not been achieved since the 1780s.
These birds, which are Britain’s largest birds of prey, have previously been successfully reintroduced to Scotland.
Forestry England said that targeting the birds would potentially impact the long-term success of the English project.
Tim Mackrill, of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, said: “We monitor satellite data, which shows the minute-by-minute movements of birds, on a daily basis and always investigate any suspicious or unusual data.
“Finding the tags stolen and discarded was devastating, especially for the girl in Sussex who ran away this summer and was just starting her life.
“Many people in the area shared the joy of seeing these birds breeding again after hundreds of years and our continued monitoring has shown how well they are fitting into the landscape.
“It’s destruction after just a few months is shocking.”
Steve Egerton-Reid, White-tailed Eagle project officer at Forestry England, said: “We are returning this lost species to the English landscape and we have had great support from the public.
“These special birds are helping people connect with the natural world and showing how, with a little help, nature can flourish.
“We are asking the public to show this support again, by encouraging anyone who has information that could help the police investigation to come forward.”
The disappearance is being investigated by multiple police forces.
The satellite tag of one of the chicks that had fledgling from a nest in Sussex was recovered from the River Rother near Petersfield on 26 September.
It was removed using a sharp instrument and a search in the area to locate the bird’s body has been unsuccessful.
Sussex Police are appealing for information from anyone living in or around Harting Down and Petersfield on the evening of 20 September 2025 who may have seen the bird or any suspicious behaviour, quoting incident number 769.
Dyfed Powys Police are investigating an incident in which a satellite tag which had been cut with a sharp tool before being hidden was recovered in remote moorland on September 13. A search to find Baz’s body has also been unsuccessful.
The force wants to hear from anyone who was in the vicinity of Gwegia Reservoir, Treginnon, or near Bryn y Fonaugh between 11am and 1pm on September 13, quoting crime reference 137.
In a third incident, concerns are growing for another eagle from the project whose tag has stopped working after its last broadcast in the Moorfoot Hills area, south of Edinburgh, on 8 November.
Police Scotland are treating this disappearance as suspicious and are asking anyone with information to contact them, quoting incident number PS-20251215-1347.
In 2022, two white-tailed eagles released from the reintroduction plan were found dead.
These triggered police investigations in Dorset, which ended after testing on the bird was found “inconclusive”, and on the Isle of Wight, where no evidence of any illegal action was found, although both found the presence of the rat poison brodifacum.