US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department JOINT NEWS RELEASE
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. The Arizona Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are asking for help from anyone who may have information regarding a bald eagle that was shot in the Doney Park area east of Flagstaff in mid-February.
The bird was discovered near a wooded area on the east side of Caves Crater Hill, just off of Vista de Oro Road, north of Silver Saddle Road. A man walking in the area found the bird and contacted the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The eagle, a 5- to 6-year-old male, was sent to a lab in Wisconsin where a necropsy determined that the bird was shot.
"Cases like this show a complete disregard for wildlife, and specifically, our national symbol," said Preston Fant, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent in Flagstaff. "This shooting violates the Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Endangered Species Act these violations can carry fines from $15,000 to $100,000 and six months to one year in prison."
Bald eagles are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Arizona Game and Fish Department law enforcement staff will work cooperatively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on this case. If you have any information, please call the Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800-352-0700. All calls may remain confidential upon request.
Visit the Service's website at http://www.fws.gov.
- http://www.southwest.fws.gov -
