Author Topic: Threat to cats from sea eagles  (Read 4181 times)

Offline Ivor Catt

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Threat to cats from sea eagles
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2019, 19:41:30 PM »
Hi everyone

This is my first post, but unfortunately it's on a very serious issue.

How many of you are aware of the plans by Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation (RDWF), now at an advanced stage, to introduce sea eagles (also known as white-tailed eagles) to the Isle of Wight?  For anyone living in the south of England, our cats will soon be at significant risk from these giant predatory birds.

I have come across this website https://sea-eagles.wixsite.com/mysite which not only has a lot of information about this, but also has a number of links to articles in the Daily Telegraph and The Guardian setting out these plans.  One such article had photos a lamb being taken to the eagle's nest https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/05/09/remarkable-photograph-eagle-carrying-helpless-lamb-sparks-fear/.

Unfortunately, sea eagles have also been shown to have taken cats up in Scotland.  This is not just what local people say, an RSPB representative, who has studied the remains in sea eagles' nests has been quoted as saying he has found the feral cats.  Of course, as we all know, a feral cat is simply a domestic cat without an owner.  To a sea eagle, a cat is a cat.  Since RDWF state that the eagles will live very close to people, in towns and cities, they will certainly be flying over our houses and gardens.  If they see a cat or a small dog, I'm very much afraid they'll see lunch.

And it's not confined to the IOW.  RDWF says that the eagles are expected to spread to neighbouring counties quite quickly.

Whatever the RDWF website claims about pets being safe, if you read all the articles from professional journalists referred to on this website you cannot possible conclude that.

We need to be writing to our MPs to try to get this stopped https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-your-mp/.  Also, if anyone feels like starting a government petition, there may still be time to do this.

Sorry to worry you all.  I have been very worried about this myself.  Please, please get involved.  And please also treat this as urgent, because the birds are due to be released next month.

 


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