Sorrow as Wales' last golden eagle is found dead in Powys
Wales' last golden eagle has been found dead in Powys.
Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams said it was "more than the death of just an eagle".
Mr Williams tracked the movements of the escaped captive bird in the remote valleys of the Cambrian Mountains for his latest series Iolo: The Last Wilderness of Wales.
But the eagle has been found dead by a walker in the Abergwesyn Valley, Powys.
"Wales has lost one of its greatest characters," said Mr Williams.
The bird was already something of a local celebrity in the area between Tregaron and Llanwrtyd Wells, with a dedicated Facebook fan page detailing sightings and renown among local bird watchers, but often going unseen for months at a time.
With a wingspan of up to 2.2 metres, the golden eagle has been largely extinct from England and Wales since 1850, with the only UK stronghold remaining in Scotland. Talks of the species being reintroduced into Wales are in progress.
On hearing the news of the death of the golden eagle, TV naturalist Mr Williams said: "The demise of this magnificent bird is more than just the death of an eagle.
"The Tregaron area has lost one of its great characters and Wales has lost a palpable link to its distant past. We are a poorer country without her."
The eagle's body was collected by a fellow member of his television crew who has ensured its registration in the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme run by the Welsh Government.
The cause of the bird's death remains unknown.
