– My conclusion is that here we are talking about one individual, says Alv Ottar Folkestad, ornithologist at Birdlife Norway. Since Saturday, the golden eagle expert has compared images and videos in connection with several different eagle attacks in Norway in the past week. On top of the four that news has already reported, another attack has been uncovered. So there are a total of five cases of golden eagle attacks in five days: Tyin in Sogn last Tuesday. Two different attacks on Glittertind on Thursday. Holtålen in Trøndelag on Friday. Orkdal in Trøndelag on Saturday. After the attack on a child in Orkdal, the golden eagle was euthanized by the Viltnemnda. Folkestad initially believed that it could not be the same eagle, since yearlings are normally very attached to their parents’ territory. On Monday, he has turned around, and believes that several circumstances suggest that it is a question of one individual. Among other things, another eagle attack on Glittertind has now been uncovered – in the same period as Francis Ari Sture was attacked – which strengthens the hypothesis. – This is completely unknown behavior, and you will not find anything in the literature about this. That is why it is important for the authorities to investigate it even more closely, says Folkestad to news. Another attack on Glittertind Karl Martin Valestrand and his partner Line Tveit were, like Sture, on their way down from one of Norway’s most famous mountain peaks, when the eagle suddenly attacked. – It was my roommate who took the brunt, says Valestrand. The cohabiting couple first observed the eagle from a distance in the air, before it suddenly gathered its wings and swooped towards them. – Then I thought that now she is pulling away, like the seagulls do. But she just kept going. Line Tveit and her partner Karl Martin Valestrand were attacked by an eagle on their way down from Glittertind towards Spiterstulen on Thursday. The eagle got hold of Tveit’s arm, who then managed to throw it to the ground. Then the eagle screamed, according to Valestrand, before it sat and studied the cohabiting couple for several minutes. – It almost seemed as if she understood that she was overpowered since there were two of us. She looked at us for a bit, then she moved and waved her wings, says Valestrand. Fortunately, Tveit came from the basket roof with the eagle in good health, thanks in large part to a thick tile sweater that took away before the sharp claws. This Thursday, a hitherto unknown attack may also have occurred. A German has contacted Folkestad and reported an eagle attack, meaning a possible third attack on the same day. If you count this case, from a German couple in Jotunheimen, we are up to six attacks on people in the course of a week. Karl Martin Valestrand and his partner Line Tveit were attacked by a golden eagle on their way down from Glittertind. Photo: Private Identifying plumage All the attacks that have occurred have been shown to be by a so-called yearling, i.e. an eagle that was born in early spring this year, and that has recently left the nest. According to Folkestad, the plumage of the yearlings is very characteristic, and makes it possible to identify them. – The character details in white and the pattern in the plumage are so individual on the young of the golden eagle that it is possible to recognize them by it, says Folkestad. Folkstad has gone through the videos and photos from the various incidents, and believes he sees clear similarities in the birds that have been photographed. – Apart from the bird that was photographed from Holtålen. It didn’t really say anything other than that it was a yearling. The golden eagle that attacked Arvid Flæte at Tyin on Tuesday. The golden eagle that was filmed by Francis Ari Sture on its way down from Glittertind on Thursday. The golden eagle photographed at Glittertind by Karl Martin Valestrand and his partner Line Tveit on Thursday. The eagle that attacked Holtålen on Friday. The young golden eagle was euthanized after a 1.5-year-old girl was attacked in Trøndelag on Saturday. But for the others, the ornithologist believes that he has found individual-recognizing or identifying details in the shore. He therefore concludes that it must be the same eagle. Supports conclusion Jo Anders Auran, senior advisor in the wildlife section at the Norwegian Environment Agency, also agrees that there must be one and the same eagle. – It has never happened before that eagles have attacked people, and then it happens four times in a week. It is an extreme event, so this must have a cause, says Auran and continues: – This is so special that it is highly unlikely that there are several eagles who have done the same thing at the same time, he says. Long distances According to Folkestad, the golden eagle can cover long distances in a short time. – Satellite tagging of eagles at Fosen has shown that some birds had daytime periods of over 200 kilometres. It is unusual for such young golden eagles to leave the area. Therefore, something must have happened, the ornithologist believes. Golden eagle expert Alv Ottar Folkestad in Birdlife. Photo: Norwegian Ornithological Association – If the parents stop feeding the children, or if the parents die, it can result in a yearling starting to hunt, says Folkestad. He says the golden eagle can glide far on the downwind, and that there were ideal conditions with high pressure, which enabled the eagle to fly 200 kilometers in a couple of hours. – Here you have an individual for whom there has been trouble. That’s what it’s all about, comments Folkestad. Suspect illness Another possibility is that the golden eagle is ill, for example with bird flu. It can change behaviour, Folkestad explains. The golden eagle is now being investigated for this. Personnel from the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate will carry out investigations to try to discover whether the same individual is behind all the attacks. – The eagle that was euthanized in Trøndelag will be sent to the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) for sampling and DNA analysis, and further to the Veterinary Institute for examination of disease and state of health. The Norwegian Environment Agency is now working to obtain the best possible overview of the various incidents and possibly whether there may be several individuals involved, says section leader Susanne Kristin Hanssen in the Norwegian Environment Agency. Published 09/09/2024, at 19.59 Updated 09/09/2024, at 20.02
ttn-69
– An individual who has raved about – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
