Victoria’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is investigating the discovery of “around 100” dead wedge-tailed eagles near the East Gippsland town of Tubbut.

A department spokesman told the Weekly Times he did not want to release too many details about the deaths for fear of jeopardising the investigation.

The eagles were “concentrated” in one area near the town and “appeared to have been poisoned”.

The investigation is expected to take several weeks, but one farmer told the Times “as many as 400” of the protected birds could have been killed.

The farmer said the person who may have been responsible for the deaths had informed the department “where to find three to four piles of the eagles”.

Hunting, taking or destroying wildlife in Victoria can draw a penalty of $7773, six months imprisonment, or both.

You can read more about the deaths of the wedge-tailed eagles here.

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