Wildlife authorities are rewarding $1,000 for any details or tips anyone has regarding the wounding and death of two white whooping cranes discovered in Louisiana Friday with the hope of making an arrest The Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
One of the birds, a three-year-old crane perished while the second, a four-year-old male bird had broke two bones in his wing according to x-rays The Times reported and was set-up for surgery Sunday.
"It's a huge loss in terms of finances, safeguarding the species, breeding potential and emotion for the teams who have been working with the birds," Joe Duff, co-founder and chief executive of Operation Mitigation told The Times.
"There is a high risk of infection because the fractures are open, but the bird recovered well from anesthesia after the radiographs today," Ginger Suttner, spokeswoman for the school of veterinary medicine told The times.
The cranes were the eldest in a group of 33 total birds throughout the state.
It's a devastating setback and such a senseless act," Robert Love, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries administrator told The Times. "Don't shoot big white birds. It's that simple," Love told The Times. "These shooters - they are not real hunters, but they are vandals with a gun who just want to destroy something or take their anger out," he said. "It's unbelievably selfish." "The protection of adults is critical," Love told The Times. "This species is just so vulnerable to human harm."
The Big Easy attempted to bring back its whooping crane population in 2011 through enrollment in programs.
Louisiana has seen three additional whooping cranes lose their lives over the past two years. It is not known if individuals involved in one of them were tried since information has been kept confidential.
A $7,200 reward was issued in Kentucky for any details or tips on a six-year-old whooping, and another four-year-old whooping crane before increasing to $15,520 The Times reported.
