Rare hen harrier 'Manu' goes missing near Carlisle

Anyone with information should call Northumbria Police on 101 Credit: RSPB

A rare hen harrier, satellite-tagged by the RSPB, has gone missing near Carlisle.

The harrier, named Manu, is one of two chicks monitored and protected by the Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership.

It was tagged as part of the RSPB’s EU-funded Hen Harrier LIFE+ project in July this year.

Manu's tag stopped working on Wednesday 18 October, but data suggests he was near Denton Fell, on the Cumbria/Northumberland border, for around three weeks. He hasn't been seen since.

Hen harriers are one of the UK’s rarest raptors with only three successful nests recorded in England in 2017.

Police and the RSPB are now appealing for information.

The RSPB Assistant Investigations Officer said:

The Chair of the Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership commented:

The Wildlife Co-ordinator & Planning Officer for Northumbria Police added:

Anyone with information should call Northumbria Police on 101 or visit http://www.northumbria.police.uk/contact. All calls are anonymous.