In a situation that could mean someone in DelMarVa (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia) is behaving viciously toward bald eagles, Delaware state officials are investigating the deaths last weekend of eagles in Delaware's Sussex County in the second case of questionable eagle death in the Chesapeake area in only two months.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's forensics lab made a determination in late February that more than a dozen eagles found dead on a Maryland farm on Feb. 20 "did not die from natural causes." The federal resource officials are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in that case.
In Delaware, officials with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) are asking for the public's help regarding any information about sick eagles seen near the town of Dagsboro.
One of the eagles in the weekend case was found dead on Saturday. Resuscitation efforts for three other eagles by Tri-State Bird Rescue failed. The three birds that died had been found with other disoriented eagles in a farm field in Sussex County, maybe a mile from where the earlier Delaware dead eagle was found.
From the group of disoriented eagles, three flew away before their health could be checked by Tri-State Bird Rescue. For this reason, the DNREC police are asking for any public tips on eagles behaving erratically in the area. "We don't know how many eagles may have been affected, so we are asking the public to notify us immediately should they see birds that appear sick," noted Sgt. John McDerby with the natural resource police.
In addition, five birds from the group were taken to Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark. Two of them remain under observation there.
While U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service agents are already involved in the Maryland cases, the federal agents will join the Delaware investigation by Monday. "This is an active investigation and we do not know what has caused the eagles to become sick and die," said McDerby. "We're also asking people not to attempt to capture or handle any eagles they encounter on the ground. These eagles will already be distressed so handling them could cause additional injuries to the eagle and possibly to anyone trying to help them."
If anyone has information about injured or ill eagles, please report it to the dispatch center at the Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 800-523-3336. Members of the public with any information regarding the eagles are also urged to contact Delaware's Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police call 24-hour Operation Game Theft hotline at 800-292-3030. The calls will be kept confidential by the DNREC.
Bald eagles no longer have Endangered Species Act listing, but they have federal protection under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. There are maximum fines under these acts of $100,000 and $15,000 respectively. Imprisonment of up to one year is also possible.
