A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the conviction of the person who shot a federally protected bald eagle recently in eastern Tennessee.
The wounded eagle was discovered by a fisherman near Watts Bar Lake in Kingston. The angler contacted the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, which transported the raptor to the Memphis Zoo.
The eagle is recovering and a bullet retrieved from the bird has been sent to a lab for ballistics testing.
The Center for Biological Diversity issued a news release Monday, stating that it has added $7,500 to the $2,500 reward being offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“The senseless and illegal shooting of this majestic bird is outrageous, and we want the perpetrator brought to justice,” said Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center. “This cowardly act against America’s national bird can’t go unpunished. We hope someone steps forward with information.”
Anyone with potentially helpful information is asked to call the USFWS at (615) 736-5532 or the TWRA at (931) 484-9571.
–Generic bald eagle image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas