Golden eagles are extinct in northern England, and there are none in Wales. This is thought to be the result of decades of persecution by gamekeepers and the of commercial conifer forests. Inadequate food , are also to blame. Although the Cumbrian Fells, north Pennines and the moors of Northumberland could be suitable territories, there was until only one golden eagle in the Lake District, an elderly male whose mate died in 2004. It was not at its Haweswater nest last year and is assumed to be dead. Their numbers are increasing in the Highlands, where about 500 pairs now breed. Experts, however, say golden eagle numbers in southern Scotland are lower than they should be. This is due to persecution and of habitat and resources.