THE HATCHING of two golden eagle chicks in Donegal which was announced yesterday by Minister for the Environment John Gormley, strengthens the case for the continuation of the project to reintroduce the species.
The Golden Eagle Project in Donegal has been under review by Scottish National Heritage which has supplied 53 birds to the project. The Scottish body has been under pressure from environmentalists because of the poisoning of eagles in Ireland.
Announcing the arrival of the two chicks at a secret location in Glenveagh National Park, the Minister said the parents were the same birds which reared a chick in Donegal in 2007 but failed to breed in 2008.
He said one of the chicks, a weaker bird, had been taken from the eyrie and was being fostered until strong enough to be returned to the nest.
He said a second pair of golden eagles were incubating eggs somewhere else in Donegal.