Threat To Domestic Pets

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In Scotland, studies of sea eagle diets have shown that cats have been eaten.  Some have even claimed that collars have been found in nests.

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Foxes are also known to be killed by sea eagles, so small dogs could also potentially be at risk.

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According to an article in The Guardian, in May 2015, it is acknowledged that 'the eagles do snatch feral cats'.  Feral cats are simply domestic cats who are not owned by people.  Sea eagles cannot distinguish between feral cats and domestic cats.

 

The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation (RDWF), which plans to introduce these giant birds, acknowledges that sea eagles 'breed close to people' and that nest sites can be 'as little as 500 meters' from 'busy activity'.

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Sea eagles can 'live in landscapes of farmland, villages, towns and even cities'.

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As these giant eagles soar above people's homes, the risks to domestic pets are obvious.

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See Daily Telegraph article showing pictures of a sea eagle carrying a helpless lamb to its nest.

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RSPB claims that 'sea eagles will only defend themselves and attack humans if they feel cornered and threatened'.  It also claims that there have been only a 'tiny number of incidents', where the birds have been introduced in the western Isles of Scotland.

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However, the population in the Scottish islands is far smaller than in southern England and much less densely populated.

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One incident reported by the BBC occurred in 2011, when Mr Farquharson, Provost of Perth Cathedral, was attacked by a sea eagle, whilst trying to defend his geese.  The Daily Telegraph also covered this story, describing how 'the raptor jumped on his back, tearing his shirt, leaving a 4in wound below his shoulder and cutting his head'.

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Fortunately, Mr Farquharson, who is 6 ft 5 in tall, survived the attack, although one of his geese was 'ripped to shreds'.  Nevertheless, he was traumatised by it, as were his surviving geese.  The incident might have ended very differently if a child had tried to defend their pet from one of these enormous birds.

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The millions of people living in southern England should decide whether these giant, dangerous predators are allowed to fly over their homes - not unelected interest groups or quangos.

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