A bald eagle described as “the missing member of our family” is believed to be in the countryside north of Perth after days of fruitless searching by its owners.
Staff at Phoenix Falconry issued an urgent appeal for help in tracing Pilgrim, a raptor with a seven-foot wing span, after it was chased off by wild buzzards on Sunday.
They are frantic about the bird, described as “a big softie” because it was bred in captivity and is unable to fend for itself in the wild. They fear it may be killed on the A9 as it tries to live off roadkill.
Although they have been unable to capture the bird because calls have come too late, they are heartened by the public’s response.
There have been nine confirmed sightings of the missing bird close to the Auchterarder falconry centre, centred on Sheriffmuir, above Dunblane. However, information suggests he may have been in the area north of Perth with likely sightings near Bankfoot and Balathie.
Head falconer Adrian Hallgarth is keen for people to pick up the phone if they are confident they have spotted him.
He said, “We’ve been out from dawn to dusk again. People have been really great at getting in touch. Thanks to them, we are sure Pilgrim is not too far away.
“If we could just get a call from someone who can see him at that moment, rather than having seen him an hour ago, we would be in with a really good chance of getting him back.
“If you see him, please call us on 01764 682823 as soon as you possibly can.”