Police investigate circumstances surrounding two white-tailed eagles found dead in Ballymena

Police have launched an investigation after two white-tailed eagles were found dead in Ballymena earlier in the week.

The birds were found beside one another in the Glenhead road area of the town.

The birds had no obvious signs of injury, and the position they were found in has been deemed suspicious.

One of the birds was born in Norway and then brought as a chick to the Shannon estuary in 2022.

The PSNI's lead for rural and wildlife crime Superintendent McDowell said the discovery of the birds was 'distressing' and that "we take all wildlife crime extremely seriously and are committed to investigating all instances of wildlife crime which are reported to police."

She urged anyone with information on the birds' death to get in touch with police.

The white-tailed eagle is the UK's largest native bird of prey, with wing spans of up to 2.5 metres in length.

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