A young Bonelli’s eagle has been rescued in Cyprus after its mother was struck and killed by a power transmission line, leaving the chick at risk of starvation, the Game and Fauna Service announced on Wednesday.
The mother had been tracked via satellite transmitter under the European LIFE Bonelli EastMed programme when she was found dead. The Service did not specify when the operation took place. After her death, staff placed the father — also fitted with a satellite transmitter — under close watch to see whether he could raise the chick alone. When it became clear he could not provide adequate food and the young eagle’s life was in immediate danger, the Service moved to intervene.
The nest was in a large pine tree in a particularly inaccessible area. Using specialised equipment, staff reached it safely, secured the young bird and transferred it immediately to a specialist vet for treatment and monitoring. The Service said the aim is to release the eagle back into the wild when it is ready.
The Service said the case underlines the value of satellite monitoring in enabling swift intervention, and the urgent need to insulate and protect power networks to halt the loss of significant wild bird species in Cyprus. Power line strikes are among the leading threats to large birds of prey both on the island and internationally, it added.
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