At least two booted eagles (Ajkla tal-kalzetti) were reported shot on Monday, the same day that a ranger at Mellieha saved one from almost certain death after he stopped a hunter from shooting at it.

One of the eagles is reported to have been shot in the Rabat area, the other at Madliena.

Booted eagles are a rare species of eagle that breed in southern Europe, mostly in Spain, and in North Africa. Most birds usually migrate to Africa in autumn, but this year many Spanish birds flew east rather than south and many were seen in the area of Genoa, with up to 200 birds counted in a single day.

The eagles stayed in the area and then were observed in other parts of Italy from Tuscany down to Naples. It is very probable that some of the birds would fly across Malta if they fly south.

Booted eagles are one of the few strictly protected species and fines for killing them are double the fines contemplated for killing other protected species.

Police from the Administrative Law Enforcement Unit are shortly expected to arraign a man from Mtarfa and charge him with trying to shoot at a booted eagle on Monday.

The hunter was intercepted by the ranger as he was trying to stalk the eagle, which had just settled on a tree within the confines of the Ghadira nature reserve.

The police managed to track the hunter down on Tuesday. The police are also investigating reports about the shooting of other eagles, but finding birds after they are shot is no easy task.