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PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — In the month of April, two eagles were shot in the Portland metro area, and one of them died, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Now, a $1,000 reward is being offered for information in the cases.
ODFW said the shootings happened within weeks of each other. On April 5, someone shot an adult bald eagle at Portland International Raceway. Sadly, that eagle died. Then, on April 28, another adult bald eagle was shot in West Linn. ODFW did not provide a more exact location. That eagle is recovering at Portland Audubon.
“It is outrageous that people continue to illegally shoot these amazing birds of prey,” said Bob Sallinger, Conservation Director for Portland Audubon, in a statement. “We spent decades recovering bald eagle populations from the brink of extinction and anybody who shoots them needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. It is amazing thing that we have the opportunity to see these beautiful birds in our communities and it is incredibly sad that anybody would go out and intentionally harm them.”
According to ODFW, violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, both federal wildlife statutes, carry maximum criminal penalties of up to $100,000 per person and up to a 1-year prison sentence.
Portland Audubon is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest or criminal conviction in either of the two bald eagle shootings. Anyone with information about the cases is asked to call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (503) 682-6131, or the Oregon State Police Tip Line at (800) 452-7888 or *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone. Tips can also be sent by email to TIP@osp.oregon.gov Tipsters can remain anonymous.
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