Two men were cited Wednesday in Nebraska for unlawful possession of a bald eagle, which they had killed as a potential meal.
Ramiro Hernandez-Tziquin and Domingo Zetino-Hernandez, 20-year-old Honduran Nationals, are said to have used a rifle to shoot the eagle on private property outside of Stanton.
The men were charged with misdemeanors but the Stanton County Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release that “more serious charges are possible as the investigation into the unlawful killing continues.”
ALSO: If it’s March, Yellowstone grizzly bears are stirring
Bald eagles, long the national emblem of the United States, have been a protected species since 1940.
The Stanton County Sheriff’s Office located the men late Tuesday while responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle outside the main Wood Duck Recreation Area.
The men, who are from Norfolk, were found to be in possession of a freshly killed bald eagle.
“Further investigation revealed that the two had shot and killed the protected national bird in that area and stated they planned on cooking and eating the bird,” the Sheriff’s Office explained.
Nebraska Game and Parks confiscated the eagle carcass and the rifle used to kill the raptor.
–Generic bald eagle image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas