In late November, a story emerged from Missouri that involved an injured eagle. The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine confirmed that an eagle was shot and injured, a rare injury for an eagle to sustain. Veterinarians have helped repair the eagle’s wing that was injured but now, authorities are looking for a suspect that may have committed a federal crime.
The story has many people talking. Not only because it involved an injured bald eagle, but because it brought to attention something that many people thought was just a myth. Is it really a federal crime to kill a bald eagle? Yes, it is, and the eagle does not have to die in order for federal charges to stand. Even injuring an eagle, or any part of an eagle’s nest or eggs could also result in federal charges.
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act
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