By Kamal Ali

The picture of two men holding the wings of a big eagle has caused a lot of reaction in the media after it emerged on social networking websites. Without any proper investigation, many people were quick to accuse the men in the picture of animal abuse, calling for their punishment.

Yet, it is widely known that eagles are not hunted in Azerbaijan as their meat is not edible. The eagle could have been captured by the villagers after attacking poultry. There can be some other theories but hunting was definitely not the case.

ANN.Az has met one of the men in the picture. The man said the picture was taken six months ago. Yet, he was not sure who posted it on Facebook. 

The villager said they captured the eagle after it landed in their garden with a wounded wing. They provided the bird with first medical aid and fed her. A week later, when the villagers were convinced that the bird had recovered, they took her to the outskirts of the village and let her fly.

The man says an official of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources called him after the picture emerged on the Internet. 

"He called me, asking how I got the eagle. I said I found the bird in the mountains, on the remains of a mountain goat that you shot.” 

The official no longer phoned the villager.

Bakudaily.az