FACT-CHECK: This picture of a Russian Eagle was not captured in Yambio, South Sudan

Written by Kei Emmanuel Duku

The post was widely shared here and here.

“An Eagle belonging to a Russian research facility was mistaken for delicious meat in Yambio,” the Facebook post reads in part.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

In the picture, a man wearing jeans and a yellow T-shirt with black and white stripes is seen holding the eagle. The eagle has a GPS tracker mounted on its back with the labelling: “If found, please contact: Ikar_research@gmail.ru. OT-25 s/n: 213259.” Additionally, on the eagle’s leg is a green tag with white and green numbering, “E13.”

Debunking the Claim:

An online search did not reveal any results about the originality of the eagle from South Sudan.

However, The ClarityDesk conducted a Google reverse image search and established that the photo was captured in Ugingo Village in Siaya County, Kenya, by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on Friday, 8th November 2025. It was subsequently published on their official Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) (archived) accounts, respectively.

A leading online media outlet in Kenya, Kenyans.co.Ke, confirmed that the migratory bird was trapped by a fishing net at the shores of Lake Victoria before fishermen rescued it.

Other media outlets that published the rescue of the osprey bird include the Star.co.ke and the Kenyan Times.

The news was widely published here, here , here, and here.

The Nairobi Times, through its verified X (formerly Twitter) account, published a video of the man displaying the rescued migratory bird. Relatedly, African Hub published similar content on their official X accounts.

Our Verdict:

The ClarityDesk examined an image on Facebook, purportedly of a Russian research eagle that landed in Yambio, South Sudan, and was mistaken for delicious meat, and found it to be FALSE.

Have you spotted an error in this article and would like to request a correction, or have you come across a claim that we should investigate? Please send us an email via editor@claritydesk.org or click here to WhatsApp us via +211 928 606 958.