$2,500 reward offered for information on shootingDecember 2009. Wildlife law enforcement agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources are investigating the shooting of an endangered whooping crane in Indiana.
The crane was shot sometime between Saturday, Nov. 28, when it was seen by an International Crane Foundation (ICF) staff member, and Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, when an ICF volunteer found the carcass.
Mother of only chick successfully hatched and migrated from captivity
The crane was identified by a leg band, and determined to be the seven-year old mother of "Wild-1," the only whooping crane chick successfully hatched (in 2006) and migrated from captivity.
500 whooping cranes left alive
There are approximately 500 whooping cranes left in the world. The crane and its mate were among 19 whooping cranes migrating from their summer grounds in Wisconsin to their wintering grounds in Florida.
"To kill and abandon one of 500 remaining members of species shows a lack of reverence for life and an absence of simple common sense," said John Christian, FWS Assistant Regional Director for Migratory Birds. "It is inconceivable that someone would have such little regard for conservation."
$2,500 reward
Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents are conducting a joint investigation into the incident. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a minimum reward of $2,500 to the person or people who provide information leading to a conviction.
Anyone with information should call the Indiana Department of Natural Resources 24-hour hotline at: 1-800 TIP IDNR (800-847-4367), or the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at 317-346-7016. Callers can remain anonymous.
In addition to the Endangered Species Act, whooping cranes are protected by state laws and the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
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