Golden eagles remain under population carrying capacity in Scotland due to ongoing illegal persecution, with welfare implications for a near-threatened apex predator.
Illegal poisoning causes agonizing convulsive death. Lead poisoning from venison carcasses with lead shot fragments causes progressive neurological impairment and slow death or sub-lethal immune suppression. Persecution removes breeding adults from established territories. Young dispersing birds are at greatest risk from poisoned baits. Secondary toxicant exposure affects breeding performance in survivors.