A full-time wildlife and environmental crime officer has been appointed in the Highlands.
PC Daniel Sutherland, who is based at Dingwall police station, will aim to develop relationships with local farmers and estates, to strengthen collective knowledge and prevent such crimes.
The appointment comes amid a long-running police investigation into the poisoning of 16 raptors – 12 red kites and four buzzards – in the Black Isle last year.
A further four red kites and two buzzards were also found dead in the same area near Conon Bridge, but it has never been confirmed if they were also poisoned.
Police are also investigating another illegal killing of a red kite which was found near Tomatin on August 30.
Yesterday PC Sutherland said: “I am very eager to make sure anyone involved in wildlife crime, whether it is raptor persecution or salmon poaching, is dealt with correctly. My role is to ensure we put the resources in place to effectively detect wildlife crime.
“As I progress, I am keen to build relationships with partner agencies, to develop and maintain a consistent approach in how we can all look to tackle issues of wildlife crime.”
Highland and Islands Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Julian Innes, said the new appointment “was a step in the right direction” for bolstering relationships with partner agencies.
On Monday, Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, wrote to police chiefs urging them to issue an interim report on the first stages of the investigation into the poisonings.
Mr Thompson also copied Mr Innes into an e-mail containing the letter.
Mr Innes added: “To the best of my knowledge, the only thing we have not gone on public record with is about the type of poison used to poison the birds and we will not do that because it is part of our inquiries.
“The public will be the answer to who killed these birds because someone knows who did this, and it is unfortunate that we have not been told anything yet.”