Two of the white-tailed eagles reintroduced to the Isle of Wight have been found dead, police have said. About 25 of the birds of prey, which have a 2.4 metre (8ft) wingspan, have been released in the area since 2019 as part of an effort to bring back a long-lost species to UK skies. But police are now investigating the deaths of two birds which have been recovered in the south of England, including one in Dorset. Postmortem and toxicological examinations are being conducted to determine the causes of death, Dorset police said, as it urged anyone with information about the plight of the birds to come forward. “Sadly, two of the Sea Eagle England Isle of Wight reintroduced white-tailed eagles have recently been recovered dead on multiagency operations in the south of England, including one in Dorset in late January,” the force said in a statement. “These birds are extremely rare and we ask the public to be vigilant and to report any information they may have relating to the death of these birds to Dorset police”, or to Crimestoppers, the force said. There are three other white-tailed eagles in Dorset, the police added. White-tailed eagles were widespread across southern Britain until the 18th century, when persecution led to them being wiped out in the region. The species went extinct in the UK in the early 20th century due to illegal killing. Reintroduction efforts have seen them return to Scotland and a five-year programme to bring the species back to England began in 2019. The Isle of Wight was chosen as a location to reintroduce the birds, also known as sea eagles, as experts said it provided good habitat for the coast-loving creatures. Since then the young birds have roamed widely in England, from Cornwall to the Norfolk coast, and as far as southern Scotland and even across the Channel to mainland Europe. They are protected by law, but conservationists warn that birds of prey can be the target of illegal persecution because of the perceived threat they pose to human activities such as the gamebird industry. Reintroductions of white-tailed eagles have faced controversy amid concerns that they could prey on lambs, but experts have said there is no evidence of this being a problem where they live alongside lowland sheep farming in Europe. A project to reintroduce the eagles on the Norfolk coast scheduled to start in 2022 was put on hold last autumn.