Golden eagles continue to be illegally poisoned and shot on grouse moors across the UK, with poisoned carcasses of game animals used as bait in a practice that wildlife crime units struggle to prosecute.
Carbofuran poisoning causes extreme suffering — convulsions, respiratory failure, and a prolonged death from central nervous system collapse. Poisoned birds may suffer for extended periods before death. The targeted persecution of apex predators through poisoning and shooting disrupts entire trophic communities, removes long-lived animals with complex social and territorial lives, and occurs in defiance of legal protections. The welfare case for vigorous criminal prosecution of wildlife crime is strong.