The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a reward Thursday of up to $2,500 for information about the shooting of a bald eagle near Clayton.
The injured adult bald eagle was found on the morning of Nov. 9 at the Blackbird State Forest Dulany Manor Tract near Clayton Delaney Road west of Clayton, near Maryland.
Tri-State Bird Rescue attempted to rehabilitate the eagle but the bird died.
The eagle was shot with a firearm. Both the neck and wing contained bullet fragments.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking anyone with information about the shooting to call special agent Brian Ricardi at (410) 228 2476 or 844-FWS-TIPS (397-8477) or to submit information online at www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips .
Eagle protection laws and the comeback of the species
About 60 years ago, bald eagles were in danger of extinction throughout most of their range because of “habitat destruction and degradation, illegal shooting and the contamination of its food sources” mainly because of the pesticide DDT, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.