Gardaí in Wicklow are investigating the shooting dead of a red kite, a protected rare bird released into the wild by Minister for the Environment John Gormley last month.
The remains of the bird were found on Tuesday in a field on a farm north of Arklow, Co Wicklow. It is believed it was shot between Sunday evening and Tuesday afternoon.
Initial examinations showed the bird had an entry wound in its chest and X-ray results revealed five or six shotgun pellets lodged in its body.
The male bird of prey was one of 30 red kites released in Wicklow six weeks ago by Mr Gormley under a scheme to reintroduce the species. The reddish-brown bird with a distinctive forked tail was once common in Ireland and Britain but was been driven to extinction (except for in remote parts of Wales) by shooting, trapping and poisoning.
The red kite is a protected species under the 2000 Wildlife Act and EU Wild Birds Directive, which give the species the highest level of protection under EU law and make its killing a criminal offence punishable by a fine and the revocation of the offender's gun licence.
The Golden Eagle Trust, which is managing the breeding project, said the birds pose no threat to livestock and that Wicklow landowners, farmers and the shooting fraternity have been very supportive of the reintroduction of the species.
The trust's project manager, Damian Clarke, said he was deeply concerned the bird may have been shot maliciously, particularly so soon after its release into the wild. "We hope that all landowners can advise people shooting on their property that red kites must be left unmolested. This species is fully protected and it is illegal to shoot red kites, by mistake or otherwise."
It was particularly unfortunate, he added, that the bird had been shot during National Heritage Week. While red kites can live for up to 12 years in the wild, the dead bird was between 12 and 14 weeks old.
The remaining 29 red kites, all electronically tagged, have adapted well since release, Mr Clarke said. They have been regularly seen feeding in fields in the Wicklow area. Their diet consists of worms and insects, in addition to small mammals and crows.Separately, five more white-tailed sea eagles were released into the skies over Killarney yesterday as part of a five-year project to re-introduce the bird after an absence of 100 years.
The five fledglings were the last of the 15 eagles introduced from Norway earlier this summer to be released into the wild.
Already sightings of the giant eagles - one of the world's largest birds of prey - have been recorded in the Mangerton and Torc mountain areas of Killarney National Park. The eagles, which have a taste for salmon, have also been spotted over the lakes of Killarney by local fishermen.
Farmers, who initially voiced opposition, have not so far complained. Irish Farmers' Association chairman for Kerry John Stack yesterday said he had received no complaints. However, there had not been a meeting in August, during which the eagles were released, and it was too early to say if they had been worrying sheep.
Meanwhile, amid fears for the eagles' "privacy", new measures have been put in place to control disturbance by commercial photographers and film crews. Numerous requests to record the eaglets in their natural environment have been received.
Management is now asking that film crews and photographers going to the more dangerous or challenging areas of the park make prior arrangements with them. They must also show insurance and health and safety statements, in addition to high levels of indemnity.