The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is currently investigating the case of a bald eagle that appears to have been shot in the Riverton area.
The case began after South Riverton Game Warden Brad Gibb responded to a call in the Riverton area of a bald eagle sitting in corrals. The eagle reportedly was unable or unwilling to fly.
Once the eagle was captured, it was transferred to Ironside Bird Rescue, a raptor rehabilitation center in Cody. According to the Ironside Bird Rescue’s website, the eagle was found on or around January 9, 2016.
The bald eagle underwent x-rays on January 11, and it was discovered that multiple pieces of lead shot were lodged in the bird’s breast and digestive tract. The lead shot can be seen as bright white dots in the x-ray images. Blood tests revealed some level of lead poisoning.
Over the course of a couple weeks, the eagle showed signs of improvement—gaining weight and even flying. He increased from only 6.9 lbs. to 9.2 lbs. in only two weeks, according to the rehabilitation center’s website.
The eagle unexpectedly took a worse turn at the end of January, going completely blind—a common side effect of lead poisoning. He was unable to stand and died on January 31.
Warden Gibb is coordinating with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents, and the case is ongoing.
Wyoming Game and Fish Department Lander Region spokesperson Rene Schell says the shooting is not only tragic, but is against federal laws.
“Any bird of prey—so any eagle, hawk, owl—are all federally protected. So you can’t hunt them or trap them. You can’t possess them. You can’t even possess a part of them. So even a feather that might fall off, you’re legally not even allowed to have without a special permit,” said Schell.
In additional, Schell says these kinds of cases can often be avoided with more education for hunters. While crows are currently in season, many hunters may shoot at protected birds without realizing it. Schell says hunters should always be sure of their target before taking a shot. If there is doubt as to the animal in your sights, the ethical thing to do is not take the shot.