Wildlife officials are investigating what may have killed the eagles, which are protected under federal law. A $10,000 reward if being offered for information.
The eagles, which are no longer listed as endangered but protected by federal law, represent one of the largest known die-offs of the species in Maryland's history.
Federal officials on Monday were dispatched to investigate at a farm near the 3,800-acre Idylwild Natural Area where the carcasses were found. A man scouring the area for deer antlers came across some of the birds on Saturday, prompting a call to the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP), which launched a wider search and discovered more carcasses.
It was not immediately clear what killed the birds, or if a crime even occurred. Officials did not report any outward signs of trauma to the birds, but hope to learn more about their fate after necropsies are performed at a facility in Oregon.
NRP spokeswoman Candy Thomson told NBC News that one explanation could be that the eagles consumed carcasses that contained rodenticide — a poison used to kills rodents but that can easily move up the food chain and affect predators.
"What happens is that when farms have rodent problems, landowners will put out poison to control it, and the eagles will eat the poisoned animals," Thomson said.
Investigators had already reportedly interviewed the farm's owner and nearby neighbors.
Meanwhile, a consortium of groups that include the Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust, the Phoenix Wildlife Center Inc., and federal authorities were offering a combined $10,000 reward leading to a conviction if it's determined that a crime was committed. The public was urged to call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Cambridge at (410) 228-2476 with tips.
Elaine Thompson / AP
Bald eagles — America's avian symbol — were on the brink of extinction 40 years ago due in large part to habitat destruction, illegal shooting, and food contamination as a consequence of the insecticide DDT.
But in the decades since being listed on the Endangered Species Act and a ban on DDT, the birds were able to rebound. In 2007, the Fish and Wildlife Service removed the bald eagle from the list of threatened and endangered species.
Based on recent estimates, there are at least 9,789 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the contiguous United States, according to the wildlife service.
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/21moiDd
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