Reward offered for attempted murder of bald eagle
Mar 24, 2011 12:47 PM EDT
The X-ray shows where there is bird shot (from a shotgun) in the wing and body, and a broken wing.
LEHIGH ACRES: Wildlife officers are asking for the public's help finding the person who wounded a bald eagle in Lehigh Acres.
The raptor was first spotted on the ground on March 3rd near the 3900 block of 20th Street SW.
But it wasn't clear at the time that the bird was injured, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife.
When the eagle was still on the ground on March 7th, officers say it was obvious there was something wrong.
The bird was captured by a concerned citizen and taken to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), where it is recovering.
X-rays taken by doctors show bird shot in the eagle and its resulting broken wing.
Wildlife officers think the eagle was shot some time that week and in the general vicinity of where it was found.
"The nearest known bald eagle nest is 3.8 miles from where the bird was rescued, and the injuries to the bird would have prevented it from traveling very far from where it was shot," said FWC investigator Greg Stanley.
Intentionally injuring a bald eagle is a federal crime punishable by a fine up to $100,000 and/or up to a year in prison.
Stanley says shooting the eagle was a callous act, and he's hoping someone comes forward with information on who is responsible.
FWC does not know if the eagle will ever recover to the point where it can be released back into the wild.
Anyone with information about this incident can call the Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-3922 or report it online at http://www.MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert.
Those reporting violations may remain anonymous, and in this case there is a reward of $3,500 for information leading to an arrest.
NBC News
0 comments:
Post a Comment