Highland gamekeepers on an Inverness-shire estate tried to save an eagle with an injured wing
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Highland gamekeepers at an Inverness-shire estate were saddened when they failed to save an injured eagle.
It was found in the snow on the estate, which does not wish to be named, and had to be humanely put down at the weekend.
On Saturday a gamekeeper spotted an eagle which was struggling and in distress while he was out on a hill.
He called for help from a colleague and quietly went over to the bird to see whether it could be helped.
The eagle had a visible injury to its wing but offered little resistance as the head gamekeeper carefully managed to lift it into a safe compartment on his all terrain vehicle.
Once back at the estate he took the bird, which had been ringed, to the local vet and the estate contacted a local wildlife liaison officer.
The eagle was put into the back of a truck, with straw bedding, for the journey to the surgery.
Unfortunately, due to the severity of the bird's injury, the decision was taken by the vet to euthanise the bird as its ability to hunt for food was seriously compromised as a result of its condition.
Such injuries in the wild can have various causes such as collisions with objects or structures or when eagles fight over territory.
The head gamekeeper, who also asked not to be named, said: “I came across the eagle which was hobbling slowly in the snow and was clearly in a distressed state.
"It came to rest in the snow and was immobile. I could see it was highly distressed. On close examination, it was clear that the bird had suffered a very serious blunt traumatic injury with its left wing.
“Along with one of my colleagues, we removed the bird to a local veterinary clinic who very kindly dealt with the matter as an emergency on late Saturday afternoon.
“We took photos and videos of the bird. It was clear it was incapable of flying. We were very sorry to learn that the vet was unable to save it.”
Alex Hogg, the chairman of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, said: “The gamekeepers did exactly the right thing in the situation. It is just a shame the poor bird didn’t survive.”
