EIGHT MORE sea eagles were released in Kerry yesterday as part of a national strategy to reintroduce birds of prey to this country.
It is the second year in a row that eagle chicks have been brought from Norway and fed in cages for several weeks while being acclimatised before being released in Killarney National Park. The sea eagles released last year have ranged as far as the North of Ireland.
Project manager Allan Mee said yesterday was "a great day".
"It will be five or six years before the birds attempt to breed in the wild, so returning sea eagles to their old haunts is a long and slow process. But every year that goes by brings us ever closer to achieving that goal. So all the effort and goodwill shown by so many people will some day be rewarded." The remaining 12 eaglets are to be set free later this month and next month. The plan is to release up to 100 eaglets during a five-year programme.
All the released birds have been fitted with coloured tags and carry radio-transmitters that enable them to be tracked in the wild.