Dying of curiosity: Why people shoot harpy eagles
by Claire Wordley on 16 March 2021
A recent study in the Journal of Raptor Research collected records of harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) persecution across Central and South America.
They found 132 documented cases of people killing the birds in 11 of the 18 countries in the species’ range.
Researchers say that curiosity and a desire to see the birds up close is a major reason that people shoot the birds, followed by fears that they may threaten livestock, hunting of the eagles for meat, and capturing them for the illegal wildlife trade.
Conservationists have established programs trying to protect the birds in several countries across the harpy’s range, but these projects often suffer from a lack of funds.