On a frigid January afternoon in Northglenn, a bald eagle turned up on the icy edge of Croke Reservoir with a gunshot wound in its wing, and now state wildlife officers want to know who pulled the trigger.
The injured raptor was found along the shoreline on Jan. 12 and taken to a local wildlife rehabilitation facility, according to wildlife officials. Veterinarians discovered a small metal projectile lodged in the bird’s wing and removed it during surgery. The eagle is now recovering, officers said, while local rangers work with state investigators to piece together how it was shot. Authorities are asking anyone who might know what happened to come forward so they can identify whoever is responsible.
In a statement to Denver7, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Kara Van Hoose said Northglenn park rangers and Northglenn Animal Control officers captured the eagle near W. 104th Avenue and Huron Street and turned it over to wildlife staff. X-rays at the rehabilitation clinic showed a ball bearing embedded in the wing. CPW officials said veterinarians surgically removed the metal fragment, and the bird remains under care…