Bald Eagle Stolen From Quogue Wildlife Refuge: Cops

QUOGUE, NY — A bald eagle has been stolen from the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, police said.

According to Quogue Village Police, officers responded to the facility, located on Old Country Road, and were told by staffers that a 35-year old male bald eagle with a partially amputated right wing had been removed from its cage and could not be found.

Upon further investigation, it was determined that the eagle's enclosure had been cut with a sharp instrument and the fencing pulled back to allow access; the eagle was removed from its enclosure and taken to an unknown location, police said.

The bald eagle has lived at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge since 1988, when it was sent to the facility by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after being injured in the western United States, police said. The male's right wing was partially amputated as a result of these injuries and is unable to fly, police said.

Possession of a bald eagle, a federally protected species, is a federal offense punishable by fines and jail time, police said.

The Quogue Village Police Department's detective division is working with state and federal law enforcement partners to find the eagle and anyone who may have taken him; anyone with information is asked to call the Quogue Village Police Department at 631-653-4791.