The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has confirmed that the two injured whooping cranes found November 6 in Stafford County, Kansas, near Quivira National Wildlife Refuge were shot. An investigation is being conducted. If anyone has specific information concerning the shooting of these birds, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Office of Law Enforcement at 303-236-7540.
Dr. Jim Carpenter, veterinarian at the Kansas State University Veterinary Medical Center in Manhattan, completed his examination of the birds and determined the cause of their injuries.
Whooping cranes are protected by the Endangered Species Act. The penalty for the unlawful take of an endangered species is a fine of up to $100,000 and/or up to 1 year in jail. More information about whooping cranes is available on this website: http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/sandhillcrane/sandhillcranehunters.htm
- FWS -
For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov
Visit Mountain Prairie website at: http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov
