Bonelli's eagle (aquila fasciata) shot, from the mountains of Tavira, was admitted to the Wildlife Research and Recovery Center (RIAS), on the 31st of March, but the bird did not survive.
The animal was found by a private person who referred him to the IAS through the elements of the Nature and Environment Protection Service (SEPNA) of the GNR.
It was an adult female, who had a severe fracture in her left wing, and ended up dying during the first night of hospitalization.
Through x-ray, it was verified the existence of "at least 12 shotgun pellets scattered throughout the body of this animal", stresses the RIAS.
This bird still had evident traces of having been in incubation, so everything indicates that “it would have small chicks in the nest that will eventually starve to death, since it is unlikely that the male will be able to feed and protect them on his own”.
Since hunting is illegal at this time of year, the eagle "can only have been intentionally shot", an occurrence that RIAS officials consider "completely incomprehensible and regrettable".
Bonelli's eagle is a species strictly protected by national and international legislation and has a worrying conservation status (EN – In Danger) in Portugal.
The Bonelli's eagle population in southern Portugal is genetically distinct from the rest in Europe, meaning that «the responsibility of Portuguese citizens for its conservation is even greater».
Since the end of 2009, the RIAS has received 71 cases of animals injured by hunting pellets.
So, those responsible for this animal recovery center located near Olhão they appeal "to the entire population for greater sensitivity and respect for the law in order to avoid this type of event that is so dramatic for the ecosystem and for the conservation of our country's natural heritage."
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