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January 28, 2003
$15,500 Reward Offered in Pelican Deaths
Authorities seek information on the rash of attacks that have left 16 of the federally protected birds wounded or dead.
Associated Press
A bird rescue center is offering a $15,500 reward for information leading to any arrests in the ongoing maiming and killing of endangered California brown pelicans.
Since Dec. 22, 16 of the federally protected birds have been found dead or injured, all with broken wings or apparent gunshot wounds.
The International Bird Rescue Center is offering the reward, bolstered with donations from other wildlife groups, said Jay Holcomb, the center's director.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the deaths.
"We just hope that with the offer of this reward ... that someone will come forward and give us a good piece of tangible information that can get us to a suspect," Fish and Wildlife special agent Bruce Toloski said.
The maximum penalty for killing one of the birds is a year in prison and a $100,000 fine, Toloski said.
The California brown pelican is an endangered species, with an estimated 5,000 mating pairs remaining in the world. Adults weigh approximately nine pounds and have a wingspan of more than six feet. They can live 30 years.
The birds feed mostly on anchovies. In mild El Niñno years, like this one, fish can be scarce. That can lead the birds to aggressively pester fisherman for food.
Other pelicans recently have been found dead in the San Francisco area and along the Oregon coast.
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On the Net:
http://www.ibrrc.org/
$15,500 Reward Offered in Pelican Deaths
Authorities seek information on the rash of attacks that have left 16 of the federally protected birds wounded or dead.
Associated Press
A bird rescue center is offering a $15,500 reward for information leading to any arrests in the ongoing maiming and killing of endangered California brown pelicans.
Since Dec. 22, 16 of the federally protected birds have been found dead or injured, all with broken wings or apparent gunshot wounds.
The International Bird Rescue Center is offering the reward, bolstered with donations from other wildlife groups, said Jay Holcomb, the center's director.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the deaths.
"We just hope that with the offer of this reward ... that someone will come forward and give us a good piece of tangible information that can get us to a suspect," Fish and Wildlife special agent Bruce Toloski said.
The maximum penalty for killing one of the birds is a year in prison and a $100,000 fine, Toloski said.
The California brown pelican is an endangered species, with an estimated 5,000 mating pairs remaining in the world. Adults weigh approximately nine pounds and have a wingspan of more than six feet. They can live 30 years.
The birds feed mostly on anchovies. In mild El Niñno years, like this one, fish can be scarce. That can lead the birds to aggressively pester fisherman for food.
Other pelicans recently have been found dead in the San Francisco area and along the Oregon coast.
------
On the Net:
http://www.ibrrc.org/
