The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a $5,000 reward for information regarding a whooping crane found dead along Besi Lane in Mamou, Louisiana. The reward is for information leading to the arrest or criminal conviction of those involved.
On the morning of January 9, 2024, a juvenile whooping crane was found dead in an agricultural pond on the south side of Besi Lane. The crane was sent to the Service’s National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon. A necropsy determined that the crane was shot which resulted in a fracture of the spine and internal hemorrhaging. Whooping cranes are currently listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and it is illegal to harm the species in any way.
Whooping cranes are North America’s tallest bird. When they reach full maturity, the birds can be approximately 5 feet tall and can have a wingspan of more than 7 feet. The species breeds, migrates, winters, and forages in a variety of habitats, including coastal marshes and estuaries, inland marshes, lakes, open ponds, shallow bays, salt marsh salt marsh
Salt marshes are found in tidal areas near the coast, where freshwater mixes with saltwater.
Learn more about salt marsh , sand and tidal flats, upland swales, wet meadows, rivers, pastures, and agricultural fields.
In addition to the Endangered Species Act, whooping cranes are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Louisiana state law. The Service continues to work with partners at Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to protect these birds and solve wildlife crime.
Anyone with information about this case should call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 985-882-3756 or the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Lake Charles Office at 1-337-491-2588.
Callers may remain anonymous.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit https://www.fws.gov/program/southeast-region. Connect with us on social media: Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Flickr, and YouTube.
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