The Eurasian eagle-owl was not considered to be naturally resident in Britain; however, there is evidence it was native to the UK some time ago. According to a BBC TV programme (2005), a pair bred for several years in a valley in Ministry of Defence land in North Yorkshire. There was some debate as to whether these birds were escapees or whether they have arrived naturally from the continent, which would only be a short journey from either France, the Low Countries or Scandinavia. At the time the program was made, they had reared 20 young to independence, and three young were in the nest. Nothing was known of what happened to those 20 young, except that one of them electrocuted itself on power lines in Shropshire.