Of all the things to shoot, some jerk in Maine shot a bald eagle. Maine Fish and Wildlife Service officials announced recently they were offering $2,500 for information leading to whoever shot and killed the national bird.
A concerned sportsman spotted the female, adult bald eagle beside a logging road and reported it to game wardens. An investigation determined that the bird had in fact been shot likely in April.
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Although the bald eagle had been removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007, it continues to remain a heavily monitored and regulated bird, falling under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act.
Since the 1980s when the bald eagle faced near extinction from poisonious DDT and other factors, the species has rebounded. Efforts to re-establish bald eagles in the lower 48 and especially the east coast have focused on habitat recovery, preservation and the elimination of dangerous pollutants.
For more visit US Fish and Wildlife.
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Photo credit: Maine Fish and Wildlife