GOLDEN eagle chicks have been successfully released in southern Scotland in the first of a “groundbreaking” series of relocations.
Three of the young birds of prey – named Edward, Beaky and Emily – have been moved from the Highlands to a secret location. The £1.3 million project is part of efforts to tackle low eagle numbers in the Southern Uplands.
Mark Oddy, chairman of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, said: “Arguably Scotland’s most iconic bird, in recent decades the south Scotland golden eagle population has been small and fragmented. We want to give it a helping hand to overcome problems in the past which have limited the size and viability of the population.
“It is amazing to see the first of our chicks now settling down and soaring majestically above the Moffat Hills.”
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