NINE MORE sea eagles have been released into Killarney National Park as part of a five-year project to reintroduce the bird to the southwest.
The birds were taken in cages to Tomies Mountain at the edge of the Killarney lakes.
This is the third year in succession eaglets moved to the area from Norway have been released.
The birds have acclimatised well, with the only setbacks coming from poisoned meat bait, said Dr Allan Mee, the scientist in charge of the project.
Next week another group of eagles will be set free. Those birds have been acclimatising to the southwest since June.
Some of the eagles brought in 2007 have flown as far as Northern Ireland and one bird has been traced to Scotland. Most return to the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks where they roost high in the Scots Pine trees.
They are a popular attraction for tourists and the project which is managed jointly by the Golden Eagle Trust and by the National Parks and Wildlife Service has the support of local tourist groups.
There has been no evidence of eagles attacking lambs as had been feared by sheep farmers.
Seven reintroduced eagles have been poisoned, all of them in Kerry, and conservationists are seeking to have meat bait laid out for crows and foxes outlawed and heavy penalties imposed.
