'You can't do that!': Investigators looking at illegal wildlife shooting on Lake Osborne

Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post
·3 min read
2

Lynn Anderson did not know what to think when she saw a man in a boat on Lake Osborne aim a rifle toward her while she was in John Prince Park. When she saw the feathers of a Muscovy Duck fly in the air, she called 911.

"You can't do that," she yelled at the shooter at 7 p.m. on July 13. “The shooter and four others on the boat thought it was big joke. They were close enough to the park that we could talk to each other.”

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, it is a misdemeanor to harm wildlife in a county park without the permission of the park director. The part of Lake Osborne where the incident occurred is part of the 726-acre John Prince Park, which is just west of the city of Lake Worth Beach.

"This was not right," said Andersen. "They have no right to do what they did."

Andersen said she was disappointed with the initial response of deputies who responded to her 911 call. It was possible to have intercepted the boat had the deputies tried to initially do so but they did not seem to think that what occurred was all that serious, she told The Post.

She added, though, she was pleased with the response by the deputies who took her statement. The agency posted a picture of the alleged shooter on its Facebook page asking anyone who can identify the person in the photo to call 1-800-458-TIPS.

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A boater recently takes a shot with a rifle toward the shore at Lake Osborne in unincorporated Palm Beach County. Residents of nearby Lake Osborne Estates have called on the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office to investigate.
A boater recently takes a shot with a rifle toward the shore at Lake Osborne in unincorporated Palm Beach County. Residents of nearby Lake Osborne Estates have called on the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office to investigate.

Andersen said deputies told her the alleged shooter probably used an air rifle because Andersen did not hear a sound when the duck was shot.

Mary Adam de Villiers, president of the Lake Osborne Estates Civic Association, has also called on County Parks Director Jennifer Cirillo to look into the incident since the shooting occurred on a county park.

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Deputy Parks director Paul Connell said he cannot remember anyone ever trying to kill wildlife in John Prince Park from the lake. He said park rangers are working with PBSO to investigate the incident, noting that the county ordinance prohibits killing wildlife in a county park without the permission of the park director. The agency has also called on the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to investigate.

Lake Osborne residents say airport noise taints the serene views

Adam de Villiers said the latest incident has understandably raised the anxiety levels in the 450 single-family home community of Lake Osborne Estates but also at issue are ongoing problems related to excessive noise from Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA) near Lantana that borders the community.

Helicopters and other aircraft fly over their homes at altitudes that are far too low, they say. An increasing number of seaplanes are landing on Lake Osborne, again in violation of a county ordinance. And more and more jets are flying into the airport after a court overturned the county’s jet ban.

“All of these issues impact us,” said de Villiers. “And now we have people hunting wildlife from Lake Osborne?”

Laura Beebe, director of airports, said neither the fixed-base operator who oversees the airport or her agency have enforcement power to stop the lake landings. Code enforcement is investigating the landings since the county's code prohibits them.

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A seaplane lands on Lake Osborne, much to the annoyance of Lake Osborne Estate residents who have called on the county to investigate the landing. They say it has been occurring more and more in recent months. Such landings are not permitted.
A seaplane lands on Lake Osborne, much to the annoyance of Lake Osborne Estate residents who have called on the county to investigate the landing. They say it has been occurring more and more in recent months. Such landings are not permitted.

But de Villiers is frustrated with the county responses. All too often, she said no one seems to be able to take jurisdiction, adding: “Different agencies point fingers at each other.”

Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Disturbing activity on Lake Osborne: Was a duck killed from a boat?