What's Going On?
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Natural England has controversially granted a licence to the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation to introduce 60 giant sea eagles onto the Isle of Wight.
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From there, the eagles will quickly spread to Hampshire, Sussex, Dorset and beyond.
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These giant predators are capable of killing any medium-sized animal.
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Once introduced, they will present an immediate and grave danger to:
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Farming livestock - sheep, especially lambs, goats, and geese
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Native wild animals - geese, rabbits, hedgehogs, foxes, seal pups, otters
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There is also a real risk to domestic pets, especially
cats and small dogs
What are sea eagles?
Sea eagles, also known as White-Tailed Eagles
(Haliaeetus albicilla), are a giant carnivores. They are one of the largest birds of prey in the world.
Sea eagles can measure up to 94 cm (over 3 ft) in length, with a wingspan of 2.5 m (8 feet). Their bills and talons are even larger than America’s bald eagle.
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‘In terms of their killing apparatuses, their hallux claw, the largest talon on all accipitrids, is 37 to 46 mm (1.5 to 1.8 in) in length, averaging 40.9 mm (1.61 in)’ (Wikipedia)
The main diet of sea eagles comprises fish and other birds.
However, some studies have shown that mammals can comprise up to 40% of their diet.
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