|
The Golden Eagle Trust has appealed to farming organisations
to tackle the issue of illegal toxin use, following confirmation
that a ten-month-old Irish-born golden eagle chick was poisoned
in the northwest.
Named Conall, after Tír Chonaill (Donegal), the chick was
born and reared in a Donegal eyrie last year and had spent
the last four months wandering around Yeats country on the
Sligo-Leitrim border. The bird was one of four fitted with
a GPS satellite tag and had his own blog on the Golden Eagle
Trust website.
Two of four golden eagles fitted with satellite tags have
now died of poisoning - the first just a year ago in west
Donegal before the lambing season. A total of nine birds of
prey - comprising White tailed eagles, golden eagles and kites
- have been killed by toxic substances in the last two-and-a-half
years.
The bird was found dead on Truskmore mountain, behind Ben
Bulben on February 18th and results of toxicology tests released
by the Trust have confirmed that he died after ingesting nitroxynil,
poured over the fleece of a stillborn lamb. Nitroxynil
is found in Throdax, used to treat liver fluke
in livestock.
Lorcan O’Toole of the Golden Eagle Trust said that new-born
lambs are not treated for liver fluke and it is illegal to
use such an animal as poisoned bait.
Details have been given to the Garda in Sligo and Mr O’Toole
said that no local farmers in the Glencar waterfall, Lough
Gill and Gleniff area had any new-born lambs outdoors.
Conall had been in 'excellent' health and children
had been following his movements on the website, Mr O’Toole
said. He estimates that between 20 and 25 golden eagles are
still alive - of some 53 eagles released and three born in
the wild.
“We found this bird because of its tag, but we fear that
there may be many more poisoned, which means this project
is in serious trouble,” he said.
Source - The Irish Times
|
