Bald Eagle Shot in New York, Reward Offered for Information About Shooting
OutdoorHub 12.28.11
Officials are seeking assistance from the public with the investigation into the shooting of a juvenile bald eagle in the Nutten Hook State Unique Area in Stuyvesant, N.Y. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the shooting.
Special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and officers from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation are investigating the incident. Anyone with information about the shooting should contact Special Agent Jason Bak with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Albany at (518) 431-4341 or call the New York Department of Environmental Conservation Poaching Hotline at 1-800-TIPP-DEC (1-800-847-7332). Callers may remain anonymous.
On October 12, 2011, an injured immature bald eagle was found in the Nutten Hook State Unique Area. The eagle was transferred to the Animal Hospital in Slingerlands, N.Y., for emergency care and rehabilitation. Examination of the eagle revealed it had been shot with a shotgun. The juvenile bald eagle sustained a fractured wing and other injuries.
Bald eagles are protected by both federal and state law. Until 2007, bald eagles were protected under the Endangered Species Act. They are currently protected under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Maximum penalties under these statues are $100,000 and $15,000 respectively with possible imprisonment of up to one year.
