Bald eagle shot in Genesee County
Jim Lynch, Detroit News staff writer
A bald eagle rescued last week in Genesee County appears to have been shot, and state investigators are now looking for help in finding the culprit.
On Thursday, a Gaines Township resident came across the injured eagle and contacted Michigan's Department of Natural Resources and Environment. The wildlife biologists who responded discovered a male bald eagle they believed to be 5 years old.
The bird had a broken wing but still resisted being caught until experts from the Detroit Zoo were brought in to help.
An X-ray provided evidence that the eagle had been shot. Bald eagles are protected by the Michigan Endangered Species Protection law, the Federal Migratory Treaty Act and the Golden Eagle Protection Act. Poaching a bald eagle is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine up to $1,000 — along with a $1,500 restitution payment to the state.
"We urge anyone who knows anything about this shooting to help us find whoever is responsible," said Gary Hagler, MDNRE's law enforcement chief, in a press release. "Then injured eagle was rescued thanks to a call from a concerned citizen, and we hope others step forward with information that leads to the arrest of the person who shot one of our national emblems."
State officials are hopeful the eagle can be returned to health and placed back in the wild.
