Astonishing pic of eagle swooping on helpless lamb sparks fear for farmers
The giant bird was snapped by amateur photographer Douglas Currie last month on the Isle of Mull
FARMERS are on red alert after an eagle was spotted flying off with a helpless lamb clutched in its talons.
The giant bird was snapped by amateur photographer Douglas Currie last month on the Isle of Mull - sparking calls for a cull to protect livestock.
Lambs weigh an average of eight to ten pounds at birth - meaning the eagle was carrying a weight of more than half a stone.
Douglas, 74, from Loanhead, Midlothian spotted the sea eagle - whose wingspan can reach up to 6ft - off the Scottish coast as he holidayed with his wife.
He said: "We saw this big shape through the sky and my wife thought it was a fish.
"We then realised it was a lamb and I rattled off a load of shots. The bird was struggling. It’s the most extraordinary sight I’ve had so far.
"Farmers and the RSPB on Mull have been in touch. They are trying to divert the eagles away from lambs and trying to get them to take fish instead.
FARMER FURY
"Golden eagles take lambs all the time but nobody seems to bother until the sea eagles swoop in.
"Their nest is about the size of a double bed and two chicks were in it so they will be feeding well."
The remarkable snap comes just weeks after Natural England confirmed that 60 sea eagles will be released over a five-year period on the Isle of Wight.
Farmer Alastair Culbertson raged: "We can lamb in parks near the house to protect young lambs but as soon as they are turned out on the open hill they and their mother become targets."
National Sheep Association chief executive Phil Stocker added: "These birds are a top-of-the-food-chain predator whose behaviour will adapt relating to food needs and availability.
"With wingspans reaching 6ft, we will see them taking livestock and other domestic animals.
"We will have consciously taken a decision that contradicts our interests in improving animal welfare and avoiding suffering."
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