Chambers County Officials Forced To Euthanize Severely Wounded Bald Eagle

ANAHUAC, TX -- Officials in Chambers County are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who shot a bald eagle, and left the animal for dead on a farm near Fort Anahuac Park.

The eagle, which had been shot in the face and was missing its beak, was taken to the Wildlife Center of Texas and had to be euthanized based on the extent of his injuries.

"It's very sad to see something like this happened," Sharon Schmalz, Wildlife Center of Texas executive director told KRIV. "There are not a lot of bald eagles out there."

The bald eagle, our nation’s symbol, was listed on the endangered species list in the 1970s and removed in 2007.

Still, there are less than 70,000 bald eagles in all of North America, according to estimates.

That makes it all the more important to the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office to find out who did this.

"That's our national bird and we're proud of it and they're beautiful, so I can't even imagine why somebody would want to shoot a bald eagle," Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said.

The Chambers County Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the incident, and another $1,000 reward is being offered by Texas Wildlife Crime Stoppers Operation Game Thief.

The person responsible could face multiple state and federal charges if they are convicted.

Image: Wildlife Center of Texas