A national park is looking to put a stop to 'ill-eagle' activity - by advertising for a bird cop to protect raptors in the wild. An advertisement for a Raptor Conservation Officer at Cairngorms National Park, Grantown-On-Spey, in Scotland, ruffled some feathers when it was shared online.
The quirky job description claims that the successful applicant will be the park's representative on 'bird of prey crime', and will support wildlife crime prevention organisations to help 'combat persecution'. Other responsibilities include developing positive relationships with stakeholders and finalising action plans for conservation of the park's population of protected species such as golden eagles and peregrine falcons.
Sarah Henshall, the head of conservation for Cairngorms National Park, claims the £40,000 role exists to raise awareness about raptors, and that employees don't have the powers to arrest wrongdoers. The team is currently satellite tagging raptors on their patch to keep a birds' eye view on their feathered friends and deter crooks from harming them.
