Durban - AN INVESTIGATION into the death of a crowned eagle that was shot three times with a pellet gun in Malvern is under way by conservation groups.
The Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Crow) is heading the investigation after the juvenile female eagle was rescued by its volunteers from the roof of a home in Hillside Avenue last Sunday. Crow said the eagle had to be humanely euthanised.
Crowned eagles are “Tops” (threatened or protected species).
Crow spokesperson Alexandra Kögl said the eagle had a nest in Northdene.
One of the pellets went through the eagle’s spine, leaving it paralysed.
*UPDATE: a full investigation has been launched. R22 000 reward is being offered for information that could lead to...
Posted by CROW - Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Thursday, July 30, 2020
Kögl believed the eagle was shot by a disgruntled pet owner as she was flying overhead, causing her to hurtle from the sky and crash into a roof.
“Shooting an eagle is a highly illegal act.”
According to Crow, eagles are found within the green belts and leafy suburbs of Durban. They often share their territory with humans who have pets. Although their diet consists mostly of hyraxes, antelope, vervet monkeys and other birds, there have been incidents reported of eagles preying on people’s pets, especially around the northern parts of Durban.
“We urge pet owners to learn to co-habitate with these birds as best they can by adapting to their presence and not trying to get rid of them. We don’t like to see the end of any animal’s life – be it a domestic or wild animal,” Kögl said.
LionHeart Experience conservationist Richard Mckibbin described the crowned eagle as “the most magnificent eagle on Earth”. He said fewer than 1 000 of the birds are left in South Africa.
Bluff Crowned Eagle Facebook administrator Mandy Kruger pleaded with Malvern residents to come forward with information. Kruger regarded the shooting as a murder.
Daily News