Maine Game Wardens need your help with finding the person who shot a bald eagle near Papoose Pond in Waterford and there's a cash reward involved.

The day after Christmas, Game Wardens got a report of a strangely behaving bald eagle spotted near Papoose Pond. The eagle wasn't able to fly well and it took a few days for a game warden to capture it. It turns out that there were six shotgun pellets in its jaw, wing and leg. It was taken to Avian Haven in Freedom but died just a few days after arriving.

Now game wardens are asking for the public's help in finding the person responsible and Maine Operation Game Thief is offering a $1000 reward for any information that leads to a conviction of the person who committed this horrible act.

According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, the bald eagle population in Maine is doing well with over 700 nesting pairs of eagles in Maine, which is up from 21 fifty years ago when it was put on the endangered species list. Today the bald eagle is no longer on the list but it is still a federal crime to kill one.

If you have any information about this tragic shooting, call Maine Operation Game Thief at 1-800-ALERT-US (1-800-253-7887) or public safety dispatch in Augusta at (207) 624-7076.

 

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