Thursday, January 19, 2006

Bald Eagle shooting in Kentucky

Federal and state officials just announced a reward of up to $1,000 for details that lead to the conviction of the dastardly person who shot a Bald Eagle last week near Madisonville. Information should go to Special Agent Bob Snow at 502-695-2722 or Wildlife Officer Marcus Bowling at 270-825-8497.

The shooting evidently took place while the eagle perched in a tree beside Browder Church Road in Hopkins County. After being found, the eagle was taken to Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky in Louisville. The bird cannot be released into the wild.

Three federal statutes protect Bald Eagles: the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Violators can receive fines of up to $100,000 and/or one year in federal prison.

Behavior like this makes me ask: Why shoot the national emblem?

Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

sickos abound, it's hard to believe. national symbol or not, a sad thing to kill an animal of such majesty. are they still endangered? (i know i'm ignorant, but i know the bald eagle has made quite a comeback of late, right?)

January 19, 2006 7:49 PM  
Blogger Amy said...

You're right, Dr. C, in that Bald Eagles have made quite a comeback. They're still on the federal endangered species list and classified as threatened, one level below endangered.

January 19, 2006 8:01 PM  
Blogger Derek Bakken said...

Unbelievable.

I volunteer at a Raptor Rehab clinic. We don't get many birds that have been shot, but we get a lot of Bald Eagles that have ingested lead bullets from deer carcasses.

Speaking of the Bald Eagle comeback. I live in Minnesota and I see Bald Eagles on almost every birding trip. I can't imagine what it was like years ago when they were rare. In fact, I have seen Bald Ealges soaring above both downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis - soaring right past the skyscapers. What a great view that ust've been for someone inside the building.

January 24, 2006 7:11 PM  
Blogger Amy said...

Thanks for volunteering at a raptor rehab clinic, D-Rock!

January 25, 2006 9:37 AM  

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