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Courier Puts Birds on the Wing to Environmental Researchers

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Baby white tailed sea Eagle being measured and ringed

A Scottish courier firm is playing a crucial role in the conservation of the nation’s rare birds of prey, including the increasingly threatened golden eagle.

By working with environmental and wildlife researchers at the prestigious University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Eagle Couriers is providing the logistics for a conservation project with national significance for the some of Scotland’s most impressive wildlife.

Eagle Couriers has been collecting samples from birds of prey from the far reaches of Scotland and transporting them back for research in Edinburgh.

With samples ranging from feathers and food, to even the bodies of a number of birds, including owls and eagles, the samples will shed much needed light on their habitats and the impact of land use in the surrounding area.

Gabriela Peniche, Conservation Biologist and PhD student at the Dick Vet, said: “We’re really grateful for the help of Eagle Couriers in being able to gain as full and accurate results as possible.

“The freshness of each sample is crucial for building a picture of how different environmental factors are impacting the wildlife and vegetation throughout Scotland. Eagle’s swift delivery has helped hugely with this.”

Drivers from Eagle Couriers have been dispatched as far North as Dingwall and Orkney to race samples back to Edinburgh for analysis.

Offering this service at a reduced rate, the service has helped to minimise costs for the program which promises to aid with conservation all over Scotland.

Fiona Deas, Co-Director of Eagle Couriers, said: “We’re passionate about conservation here at Eagle Couriers and with precious eagles playing such a major part of this research how could we not get involved and help out with Gabriela’s research and conservation in Scotland.

“We have a huge reach all over Scotland so it’s no problem to cover the distance and make sure Gabriela gets any samples she needs whenever they become available.”

This isn’t the first time Eagle Couriers has taken on unusual animal deliveries, having helped rehouse two Madagascan false tomato frogs and reunite a lost dog with its owners.

When raptor samples are discovered they are either handed over to the police if foul play is suspected for a full post-mortem, otherwise they are whisked to Edinburgh so that researchers can build a picture of their cause of death.

As eagles and other raptors are at the top of the food chain the introduction of toxins and infectious disease at any stage will be reflected by the effect on them.

This means that the team can get a good picture of whether certain pesticides or toxins are being over-used and propose plans to combat this.

The project is being undertaken by Gabriela, under supervision from faculty members at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary studies at The University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush Campus in Midlothian.

Collaborating with a wide range of organisations and institutions including Scottish Natural Heritage, the Sottish Raptor Study Group, the Scottish Agricultural College, the University of the Highlands and Islands and the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme, it is hoped that the results will provide an evidence base for improving the environment for wildlife across the country.

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