Golden Eagle Escapes Falconry Facility

A golden eagle has escaped its enclosure in Magheramorne, County Antrim. Its owners stated that the four-year-old male bird, named Loki, broke free from its enclosure on Wednesday morning due to damage caused by a storm. Hawk Walks Falconry Experiences NI, based in Ballyclare, has requested that members of the public observe the sky to assist in locating Loki. In a statement provided to BBC News NI, they reported that the bird had been sighted a few times since its escape but remains at large. “We are extremely worried about his safety and well-being,” the company said. The statement continued, “In the wild, Loki may face numerous challenges, including finding food and avoiding potential threats.” It added, “Loki is a captive-bred eagle, raised and cared for in our facility. He is accustomed to human interaction and the safety of his home environment.” Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programme, David Trenier, owner of Hawk Walks, explained that the roof of Loki’s primary enclosure was torn off during storm Darragh. Loki was subsequently placed in a temporary enclosure, which was designed for a hawk rather than an eagle, from which he was able to escape. Mr. Trenier has owned Loki for nearly three years. “As a family our hearts are broken, we don’t see our birds as just work objects – they are part of our family,” he said. He continued, “We spend every day with these birds, we create that bond. They’re not pets but they are bonded to you as much as you are bonded to them and we’re all heart-broken here.” Hawk Walks Falconry Experiences NI has urged individuals not to approach or attempt to capture Loki, but instead to note his location and contact the business. Mr. Trenier mentioned that their only confirmed sighting of Loki has been over the Blue Circle Cruising & Sailing Club in Magheramorne. He also noted that people frequently confuse golden eagles with buzzards. “There’s a saying between falconers – if you think you’ve seen an eagle, you haven’t. You’ll know when you see one – they’re huge,” Mr. Trenier remarked. He further specified that Loki would be wearing two long leather jesses, approximately 16in in length, attached to his legs. Golden eagles were reintroduced to Ireland about two decades ago, having previously been driven to extinction on the island. In 2018, the first chick hatched in the wild for the first time in approximately 100 years. While a pair of golden eagles nested in County Antrim in the late 1950s, no nesting pairs are currently known to exist in Northern Ireland. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.