Authorities in Alabama are hoping that a larger reward will help them identify and prosecute the person who killed a federally protected bald eagle last month with a shotgun blast.
The eagle was found deceased on Dec. 8 near Mt. Hope, south of Huntsville, with shotgun pellets lodged in its body.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is leading the investigation, set the reward at $2,500. But this week the Center for Biological Diversity chipped in $12,500 to boost the reward to $15,000.
“This majestic bird didn’t deserve a heartbreaking death, and whoever killed them must be brought to justice,” Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center, stated in a news release. “This cowardly act against America’s national bird can’t go unpunished. I hope someone steps forward with information.”
The Center announced the reward increase Thursday via social media, alongside a banner that reads: “Wanted: Bald Eagle Killer, $15k Reward.”
The USFWS is investigating in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Bald eagles are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Violations can result in fines up to $250,000 and two years in federal prison.
Anyone with potentially helpful information is asked to contact USFWS Special Agent Brad Rabalais at (601) 331-0292, or the Alabama Game Watch Hotline at (800) 272-4263.