Sir David Attenborough names golden eagle chick hatched in Scotland
Sir David, 99, named the baby eagle Princeling, meaning young prince, which he says symbolises new hope for the restoration the species.
It comes as part of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project (SSGEP), which aims to increase their numbers throughout the country.
SSGEP has now expanded its project to England and Wales under Restoring Upland Nature (RUN), to increase the population of the species elsewhere in the UK.
Sir David said: 'Many congratulations to all those in Restoring Upland Nature who have brought about the fledging of a young golden eagle.'
News of Princeling hatching in spring this year was kept secret until he was ready to fly the nest in a bid to protect his safety and welfare.
He was tagged by experts from the RUN team in June, with support from a local Scottish Raptor Study Group, landowners and land managers.
His parents, Emma and Keith, made their nest near Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway, where he later hatched.
Emma was previously translocated by SSGEP in 2021 and was named by Lorna Slater MSP, who at the time served as the Scottish Government's biodiversity minister.
She was named after Emma Ritch, an advocate for women's rights and equality.
Dad Keith fledged his nest locally, near Galloway.
Revealing the latest news, the chief executive of RUN, Dr Cat Barlow, said: 'What an honour it is for RUN to receive such warm recognition from Sir David Attenborough for this game-changing moment in UK conservation.
'Seeing Princeling thrive in the south of Scotland highlights that, where there are healthy ecosystems and a low risk of persecution, translocated eagles can integrate well into native populations to breed successfully.
'This brings renewed hope to our ambition to reverse biodiversity decline and ensure current and future generations across the UK, including Scotland, England and Wales, can experience that incredible sense of awe on seeing golden eagles soar.
'It is important to highlight that this success is testament to the support we have received from the community, partners, funders, raptor workers, gamekeepers, estate managers and more.
'We know they will all share in our excitement at today's news and look forward to continuing to work with them, and many new partners, as we build on our success, and extend our reach into northern England.'
RUN chairman Michael Clarke said: 'We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Princeling and would like to thank Sir David Attenborough, and all our partners and supporters, for helping us mark this important milestone.
'There has been such a great buzz at our initial success, with golden eagles spotted across southern Scotland and northern England.
'This remarkable recovery story has only been possible through a massive team effort by individuals from all walks of life.
'Our sincere hope now is that Princeling's arrival will cement a sense of shared ownership and responsibility for his survival as a totem of what is possible when people pull together, and share a determination, to consign the illegal persecution of these magnificent birds and other raptors to the history books.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: The most popular baby names in YOUR area - as figures suggest up to 9% of boys now get called Muhammad in parts of country
The Daily Mail's new search tool reveals the most popular boys' and girls' names in your area. Simply type in your postcode below to find out. Our tool – built with Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures released last month – also lists the ten most common names across your wider region. For example, Alexander topped the tables for boys born in Kensington and Chelsea. Across London as a whole, however, Muhammad was by far the most popular, with 1,044 boys given that name. Noah (595) ranked second. Daily Mail analysis suggests nearly 9 per cent of boys born in parts of England and Wales last year were named Muhammad. Muhammad, or the slightly different spelling of Mohammed, was the most common name in 33 of 318 authorities. It was trumped only by Oliver, which was crowned the most popular in 109 areas. This is despite Muhammad being the most popular name nationwide. The same ONS data, spanning England and Wales, revealed 5,721 boys were given the specific spelling of Muhammad in 2024. That marked an increase of 23 per cent in a year. Noah came in second, with Oliver in third, just as they did in 2023. In Pendle, just outside Bradford, the same statistics suggested 8.9 per cent of boys born in 2024 were named Muhammad – the highest rate in England and Wales. Blackburn with Darwen (8.6 per cent) and Bradford (7.4 per cent) followed in second and third spot. The figures were calculated using separate birth statistics published by the ONS. The ONS only shared the most popular name for each authority, meaning the exact number of boys born called Muhammad is unknown in the majority of areas. Moshe, a Hebrew name referring to the biblical figure of Moses, proved the most popular boys' name in the London borough of Hackney. Nineteen boys were given this name – or a one per cent share of the 1,865 live male births recorded there in 2024. Mohammed, a different spelling to the one crowned most popular in 2024, entered the top 100 boys' names for England and Wales 100 years ago, debuting at 91st in 1924. Its prevalence dropped considerably in the lead up to and during WW2 but began to rise in the 1960s. That particular iteration of the name was the only one to appear in the ONS' top 100 data from 1924 until Mohammad joined in the early 1980s. Muhammad, now the most popular of the trio, first broke into the top 100 in the mid-1980s and has seen the fastest growth of all three iterations since. The name means praiseworthy' or 'commendable' and stems from the Arabic word 'hamad', meaning 'to praise'. The spelling is shared with the founder of Islam – the prophet Muhammad. Other spellings listed in the ONS report include: Mohamad, Muhamad, Muhamed, Mohammod. Hyphenated variations include Muhammad-Ibrahim and Muhammad-Adam. Increasing sizes of Muslim communities across the UK fuelled by immigration, as well as the popularity of sporting figures such as Mo Farah and Mohamed Salah are likely to have sparked the increase. The ONS only provides figures based on the exact spelling and do not group names, as some groupings are subjective and not straightforward. For example, if multiple spelling were grouped under one umbrella name, Theodore (8th in 2024, 2,761 and Theo (12th in 2024, 2,387) would be far above Noah. 2023 marked the second time just one spelling of the Muhammad topped the charts on its own. For girls, Olivia took the top spot again, with 2,761 namings making it the undisputed queen of girls names for nine years running. Amelia came in at number two for the second year in a row, with 2,448 namings and Lily, which sat in fourth spot last year, ranked third (2,185). Royal names have continued to fall in popularity on the whole. George ranked sixth with 3,257 babies being given the name and William came in 27th. Louis came in 47th for boys and Charlotte ranked 23rd for girls. Names given to baby boys less than five times in 2024 include Yanky, Teddy-Bear, Awesome and Beckham. Names given to baby girls less than five times include Orchid, Poem, Sicily and Everest.
Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Moment Grade I-listed manor is engulfed in flames - as crews battle to extinguish inferno
A major fire has engulfed a Grade I-listed building in Merseyside as local residents have begun lamenting the blaze as a 'travesty' and 'tragic end' to the historic landmark. Dozens of firefighters have already spent hours tackling the blaze, which erupted on Tuesday evening at the dilapidated Woolton Hall. Videos and pictures being shared widely online show flames taking hold at the three-storey property in Speke Road, Liverpool, while neighbours have reported seeing the smoke from miles away. Woolton Hall is one of the oldest buildings in the city and dates back to 1704. Over the centuries it has been a manor home, a private school and an army hospital. It was saved from demolition in the 1980s and granted Grade I-listed status. The building was previously saved from a fire in 2019 and was added to Historic England's Heritage at Risk register as a Category A site two years later. Merseyside Fire and Rescue said: 'There are currently nine fire engines and an aerial appliance on scene with the aerial appliance and main jet hoses in use fighting the fire to the exterior of the building. 'A multi-agency meeting has taken place with police and a building surveyor, who has assessed the building and advised it would be unsafe to commit firefighters to the interior of the building. 'The incident continues and will do for some considerable time.' Jonathon Wild has been campaigning for years to save the historic building from ruin. He said: 'This is the same as Liverpool Cathedral going on fire. The same category listing. 'I am absolutely devastated that this has happened and I ask that the powers that be hold a full investigation in to this fire and the outcome is that this building is somehow rebuilt.' Drivers were warned to stay away from the area, while residents have been warned to keep their doors and windows closed.
Press and Journal
2 hours ago
- Press and Journal
Gallery: Looking back at memories of Foveran and Tipperty schools in 60 photos, from 1931 to 2024
When school returns after summer, pupils of the former Foveran and Tipperty schools will be forging a new future together as Ythan Bridge School. It will be a big change for the pupils, teachers and parents of both schools as they encounter different faces and places. Foveran was the first of the two Victorian schools to be formally established in 1873, with Tipperty following in 1878. The first log book entry at Foveran on November 24 1873 tells of the school opening in the presence of the Reverends Keay and Clark. Subsequent entries, right up to its centenary in 1973, provided a valuable record of changing social circumstances in a rural community. Recorded were vast attendance drops during sowing and 'hairst' times, snowstorms in March and April, and ominous outbreaks of scarlet fever. They also record pass marks in Latin, French and Greek. The very first person to be registered on the school roll back in 1873 was farmer's daughter Isabella Allan, of Aikens Hill. The roll totalled 110. Speaking in 1971, headteacher Mr Smith said one aspect of education that has not changed over the years is the constant call for improved facilities. 'One of the very early entries,' smiled Mr Smith, 'complained about the lack of space in the building.' Like many schools across Scotland, Tipperty had previously been a Free Church school until it was taken over by the Logie-Buchan school board in 1878. The Education (Scotland) Act in 1872 made education mandatory until the age of 14 and formalised both schooling and record keeping. Originally the proposal had been to establish a girls' school in Tipperty, but ratepayers were more keen on another co-educational school in the district. There were concerns even before it was built that there would not be enough pupils for the school and as early as 1923 the Kincardine Education Authority wanted to close it. But the local education department fought back, pointing out that closing Tipperty meant 'infants of five years old' would have to walk 2-3 miles to their next nearest school. Tipperty was reprieved until closure threats came calling again in 1973 and 1986, but remarkably each time it was saved. Now, both schools will face the biggest change in their 150 or so years by uniting as one. The newly-named Ythan Bridge School will be split over both Foveran and Tipperty school sites. Primary 1-3 pupils will be educated at Foveran, and primary 4-7 will be educated at Tipperty. The decision to merge the schools was made by Aberdeenshire Council to balance out an increasing roll at Foveran and a decreasing roll at Tipperty. Ythan Bridge was chosen to equally represent both schools, which are in the Ellon cluster near the Forvie reserve. The name reflects the Ythan area in which both schools stand, and Bridgend, which sits between each building. Just before the new chapter starts, we've opened our archives to look back at photos of Foveran and Tipperty schools.
