An adult bald eagle found dead in the Plum Creek Timber Northeast Region near the Scott Road in Jackman, Maine, appears to have died from a gunshot wound, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Tom Cloherty. The Maine Warden Service and the Service's Office of Law Enforcement are investigating the eagle death.
A concerned hunter turned in the carcass to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife on Nov. 19, Cloherty said. The Service will send the bird to the its Clark R. Bavin National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Ore., for a complete analysis of its death.
Maine Game Warden Raymond Miller and Cloherty are actively seeking the public's help in identifying the person responsible for the death of the eagle.
"We?re hoping that a hunter or woodsman who may have witnessed the shooting or know who is responsible for killing this bird will step forward," Cloherty said.
The Service is offering a reward of half of any fine collected up to $2,500 for information about the eagle shooting that leads to a conviction. Anyone with information can contact Operation Game Thief at 1-800-ALERT-US, the Maine Warden Service at 207-695-3756, or the Service's Office of Law Enforcement at 207-469-6842. Callers may remain anonymous.
"Thousands of Americans have worked for decades to restore the eagle population from the brink of extinction," Cloherty said. "The deliberate killing of this majestic symbol of our nation is a senseless act.?
Maine state law and three federal laws (Endangered Species Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act) protect the American bald eagle. Federal penalties for killing a bald eagle range up to a $15,000 fine and one year in prison.
>-FWS-
