Highlights
- Reward increased to $15,000 for information that leads to a conviction
- Bald eagle shot near Erath on December 5, 2025
- Federal charges carry up to $250,000 fine and two years in prison
- Louisiana has the second-most bald eagle nests in the country
- You can submit tips anonymously through Operation Game Thief
ERATH, La. (KPEL News) — The Center for Biological Diversity added $9,000 to the existing $6,000 reward on Wednesday. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service put up the original $6,000, which included money from the Humane World for Animals and Louisiana Operation Game Thief.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents got a call about an injured bald eagle on December 5, 2025. Someone found the eagle at the intersection of Robert Road and Wilmer Road near Erath, in a rural area close to Lake Peigneur.
LDWF brought the injured eagle in for examination. Wildlife officials discovered the eagle had been shot. The bird died shortly after.
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Federal Protections and Penalties
Bald eagles are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Breaking these federal laws means serious trouble…