Golden eagle found with over 17 shotgun pellets lodged in body

Police are appealing for information after a golden eagle was found to have over 17 shotgun pellets lodged in its body.

Squeagle, a four-year-old female golden eagle, was shot while travelling from the Scottish Borders through parts of northern England.

The bird is fitted with a satellite tag, which allows her movements to be monitored.

Squeagle was moved from the Outer Hebrides to the Lammermuir Hills in the Scottish Borders in February as part of a translocation project run by Restoring Upland Nature (RUN).

After her release, Squeagle travelled through parts of northern England, including Northumberland, the Pennines and the Yorkshire Dales.

Squeagle with damaged feathers Police Scotland

A photograph taken in Northumberland on May 4 showed significant damage to her wing feathers.

Gamekeepers on an estate in the Lammermuirs became concerned after noticing the bird behaving unusually on June 1 and contacted RUN.

Squeagle was collected and taken to the Scottish SPCA’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre at Fishcross for assessment.

Scans and treatment revealed she had been shot and had at least 17 shotgun pellets lodged in her body and wings. Experts believe the injuries were not recent, as the wounds had already healed.

Detective sergeant David Lynn, National Wildlife Crime Coordinator, said: “This was a serious attack on a protected bird of prey, which I utterly condemn.

“Thanks to the quick actions of those who reported concerns, the golden eagle was able to receive specialist treatment and has since been returned to the wild. We are working with partners across Scotland and northern England to establish where and when she was shot.

“Following treatment by veterinary specialists at the Scottish SPCA, Squeagle was released back into the wild on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Her condition will continue to be monitored through observations and detailed analysis of satellite tracking.

“Enquiries remain ongoing, and we are working alongside our colleagues in Northumberland, Durham, Cumbria and North Yorkshire, supported by the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit to establish who was responsible.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland, quoting incident number 1361 of June 5, 2026