‘Protected’ tundra swans found shot dead in flooded Idaho field, officials say

Six “protected” tundra swans were found shot dead and left to waste in an Idaho field, wildlife officials said.

The birds were believed to have been killed between March 25 and March 26 near Saint Maries, Idaho Fish and Game said in an April 7 news release.

Saint Maries is about 345 miles north of Boise.

The birds were killed during a closed season and left in a flooded field, wildlife officials said.

Tundra swans are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Under this law, protected birds cannot be killed, captured, sold, traded or transported without permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Anyone with information about the swans can contact conservation officer Dustin Horn at 208-916-6871, or call the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999. A report can also be made online.

A trumpeter swan was also found dead floating in the Bear River near Bennington on April 1, McClatchy News previously reported.

Bennington is in southeastern Idaho.

Trumpeter swan left dead in Idaho river in ‘senseless killing,’ wildlife officials say

‘Tornado of white birds.’ Over 2 million geese make pit stop in Missouri, photos show

Bald eagle blanketed by ‘cozy’ snow layer while nesting in Minnesota storm, photos show