Overview
- The government confirmed Wednesday a licensed plan to release up to 20 young white-tailed eagles on Exmoor over three years, with summer releases also planned on the Isle of Wight.
- Natural England approved licences for Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, working with Exmoor National Park Authority, to carry out the releases, and the chicks are taken from healthy Scottish nests under licence.
- Project tracking shows released eagles already visit Exmoor, and the park’s long stretches of coastal woodland offer suitable nesting and hunting habitat.
- The Isle of Wight programme has released 45 birds since 2019 and has produced six wild-born chicks, including the first in more than 240 years in 2023.
- Some farmers fear losses of lambs, but a study of the Isle of Wight birds found diets made up of cuttlefish, rabbits, fish and other birds with no recorded conflicts, and project teams say they will support local communities.