Golden eagle voted Scotland’s ‘favourite’ wild animal and yet still threatened by illegal persecution

The magnificent golden eagle has been voted Scotland’s favourite wild animal in a poll that saw it competing against other iconic species such as the otter, red squirrel, red deer and harbour seal. Over 12,000 votes were cast and the golden eagle was a clear winner, securing over 4,000 votes in comparison to the second-placed red squirrel with over 2,000 votes. Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse commented that although Scotland holds the UK’s entire golden eagle breeding population, recent incidents have shown that the species still faces considerable threats in some parts of the country. Long-term and on-going research by SRSG members and others shows that golden eagles are still routinely poisoned, trapped or shot on driven grouse moors in central, esatern and southern Scotland. BBC news here.