Four-year-old Hamlet was wounded by shotgun pellets to its wing but survived.
Police are investigating after a golden eagle was shot in the south of Scotland, with the rare bird making a full recovery despite being wounded by shotgun pellets to its wing.
Four-year-old Hamlet had been relocated to the Scottish Borders from the Outer Hebrides in 2023.
On January 20 this year, a gamekeeper in an estate near Stanhope discovered the injured raptor, which had a satellite tracking device.
A vet treated the golden eagle and it made a full recovery before being released back into the wild.
After reviewing the tracking data, police believe Hamlet was shot during the first week of January 2026 in an area between Stanhope and Glenbreck, off the A701 road.
Detective Sergeant David Lynn, national wildlife crime co-ordinator at Police Scotland, said: “It is extremely disappointing that we are investigating another golden eagle persecution crime.
“Very few people would have the means, opportunity and motive to commit this crime and I would urge anyone with any information to contact us so we can identify whoever is responsible for shooting Hamlet.”
In October 2023, a golden eagle called Merrick went missing from its usual hunting grounds across southern Scotland and northern England.
Police later said they believed the female raptor had been shot.
