BATH SPRINGS, Tenn. (WTVF) — A bald eagle was shot and had to be euthanized in Decatur County, said the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
The injured eagle was reported Monday around 3 p.m. after having been found off Martins Landing Road in Bath Springs.
A TWRA officer responded to the call. He found and took the bald eagle alive to the North Madison Animal Hospital Tuesday.
After examination, the eagle was found to have been shot. The injuries were determined incurable and the animal had to be euthanized.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to call the Region I TWRA office at (731) 423-5725 or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (615) 736-5532. A reward of $2,500 is offered for credible information.
For environmental reasons and a lack of regulations, bald eagles' numbers dwindled in the 1900's before they were placed on the endangered species list in 1978. Changes in environmental practices and protection helped eagle populations recover, and endangered status was removed from the bird in 2007.
Bald eagles are protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They are biparental, which means both parent birds are required to raise young. The loss of one eagle likely means the failure of a whole nest.
