Breathtaking footage, captured in Scotland, shows the moment a golden eagle is released into the wild.
The majestic creature is seen relishing the opportunity of being able to free its wings.
The release of the bird comes as part of a project to introduce older golden eagles into the south of Scotland, with the aim of allowing them to settle and breed.
The Scotland Golden Eagle Project has become the first in the UK to successfully translocate free-flying young golden eagles (aged between 6 months and 3 years) to boost a low population of this iconic bird.
The number of golden eagles in Scotland have increased to around 33 as a result of the project, he highest number recorded in the area since the early nineteenth century.
John Wright / South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project
Under licence from NatureScot, the group has led a groundbreaking charity project which has seen them catch, transport and release seven golden eagles in the Outer Hebrides.
The Outer Hebrides was selected as the area for the release of the birds in order to boost the south of Scotland population because these Islands host one of the highest densities of golden eagles in Europe.
The birds were released almost immediately upon arrival by the group in a secret location in the southern uplands of Scotland.
the project team followed NatureScot's novel-research guidelines which were assessed by Scotland’s Nature Agency against the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations.
The team has previous work in the field, releasing 12 young eagles between 2018-2021, that had been collected as chicks from nests in the Highlands and Islands.
A female Golden Eagle, handled by Dougie McKenna
PHIL WILKINSON
Dr Cat Barlow, Project Manager for the Project, said the translocation provided a "significant boost" in efforts to allow golden eagles to flourish in the southern Scotland skies.
Dr Barlow explained: “This new novel-research licence has provided a significant boost in our efforts to ensure golden eagles truly flourish in southern skies.
Though it is still early days, this is the first in the UK to trial this approach as part of raptor reinforcement".
Barlow said the development could be "groundbreaking" for the future of global conservation management of golden eagles.
John Wright / South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project
She said: "This could be a groundbreaking technique for the global conservation management of golden eagles and other raptors.
"We will continue to monitor these birds to see if they settle, thrive and breed in the south of Scotland, which will be the real measure of success".
Scotland’s Environment Minister Mairi McAllan MSP praised the group's success, saying it shows what "can be achieved" in an effort to restore lost biodiversity.
John Wright / South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project
Ms McAllan said: "The success of this project can be traced back to 2007 - golden eagles faced extinction from southern Scotland for a number of different reasons and the Scottish Government made a commitment to achieve positive change.
"Thanks to the close partnership working between conservationists and land managers in the south of Scotland, the financial support from sponsors and the world-leading techniques employed by the project, there are now more golden eagles in southern Scotland than there has been for hundreds of years, with birds even being seen in northern England.
"Scotland was one of the first countries to recognise the twin crises of nature loss and climate change, and this project shows what we can achieve with determined efforts to restore our lost biodiversity".
The seven new arrivals have been named by a range of individuals, school children and organisations.
Sir E Scott School on Harris in the Outer Hebrides, where the eagles came from, named their eagle Rowan - the project is forging links between the school and Sciennes Primary School in Edinburgh.
