Photo (credit Dave Snyder): http://www.fws.gov/northeast/images/eagle.snyder.jpg
; An injured bald eagle found in Dorchester County, Maryland, on April 26 had been shot and suffered a badly broken wing, probably from a fall after the shooting.
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; "Sadly, the eagles injuries were so severe that veterinarians had to euthanize it," according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resident Agent in Charge Kim Speckman of the Services Baltimore office.
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; The eagle had been seen in the same area for several days before it was picked up beside Kerwin Neck Road near Gootees Marina, Speckman said. At Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, Inc., in ark, Del., veterinarians determined the female eagle was 5 years old. It was very thin, likely from being unable to feed for some time. Radiographs revealed that the eagle had been shot. According to the veterinarians, compound fractures of the radius and ulna in the wing were irreparable, with maggots infesting the surrounding tissues.
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; The Service is investigating the shooting. "We are offering up to $2,500 under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act for information leading to the conviction of the individual or individuals involved," Speckman said. Anyone with information should contact Speckman at the Services Office of Law Enforcement, phone 410-962-7980 extension 224.
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; In addition to protection provided by the Eagle Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act protects bald eagles and other threatened and endangered wildlife, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects bald eagles and most other birds in the United States.
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; For additional information about bald eagles, see http://training.fws.gov/library/Pubs/baldeagle.pdf
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; For information about the Services law enforcement responsibilities, see http://www.fws.gov/le/
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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