Upstream | January 13, 2011 | 12 comments

Endangered Whooping Cranes Were Shot to Death in Georgia

source: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/12/endangered-whooping-cranes-shot-dead/?hpt=T2

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EthicalVegan
Endangered whooping cranes shot dead

Only about 400 whooping cranes exist in the wild, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says.
January 12th, 2011
03:17 PM ET


Three endangered whooping cranes were shot to death in southern Georgia, wildlife officials say.

The three dead birds were found and reported by hunters near Albany, Georgia, on December 30, according to a release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The cranes, which were banded and fitted with radio transmitters, were part of a group of five that were migrating to Florida together, the service said. They had last been tracked 20 days earlier in Hamilton County, Tennessee.

The cranes are part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership effort to reintroduce whooping cranes into the eastern United States. There are about 570 whooping cranes left in the world, 400 of which are in the wild, according to the wildlife service. About 100 cranes are in the eastern migratory population.

The cranes that were killed were not among those famously led south by ultralight aircraft, but instead were part of the Direct Autumn Release program, in which cranes are encouraged to follow other migrating birds, such as sandhill cranes.

In addition to the Endangered Species Act, whooping cranes are protected by state laws and the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The wildlife service and Georgia Department of Natural Resources are investigating. Several organizations have contributed toward a $12,500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
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12 comments // Endangered Whooping Cranes Were Shot to Death in Georgia

  • bailey78
    • 0
      bailey78  

    • Here in Aransas County they make big bucks off these birds. Ya'll would be surprised at what folks will pay to see these birds.

    • 1 year ago
  • littlwarrior
    • +1
      littlwarrior  

    • I remember when we were kids romping through the forest dad always taught us you fuck with the cranes ill break your necks. This is a breakdown in parenting somewhere, I hunt, I know some animals are to be left completely alone, every time i woops and a crane makes it into my sights as soon as I realize what I'm doing i still have a little freak out and pray my dad didn't see, even though the last time I got waked across the head for it was like 10 years ago. But that was good parenting I have never accidentally or on purpose shot something that was endangered or even close to endangered, I was taught to only shoot what I have a tag for and my kids will learn the same lesson.

    • 1 year ago
  • toyotabedzrock
  • littlwarrior
  • lil_RASKAL
    • +3
      lil_RASKAL  

    • I'm all for using weapons as a protection and only that, but when other harmless animals are hunted down for fun and sport, well it just feels like something is wrong with me. Because I believe "Inlakesh" you are another myself and also because I believe we are all connected - in various ways but I mean specifically - the global/universal consciousness that holds all memories. So when I understand I am another yourself and I understand when we are all thinking - if we think at all - we are doing so from the same place; when I have accepted this I get sad that I still act this way. We are the 'I'.

      I apologize if I upset any person with my beliefs, I just felt it needed to be said.

    • 1 year ago
  • ozoneocean
  • fun_size
  • toastyguy11
  • Nephwrack
  • Wetdog
  • alexandrek
  • Wetdog
    • +1
      Wetdog  
    • alexandrek:

      @alexandrek---hunting as a sport has nothing to do with wanton killing. Killing endangered species of birds and leaving them where they fall is wanton killing. Eating or making use of what you kill is hunting. True hunters protect the environment, habitat and the species----if you do not, there will soon be no hunting. Take some, leave some.

      This act goes against everything that true hunters do.

      I often go out and work the dogs with tethered birds and retrieving dummies. The sport is in the hunt----nothing is killed. Even the dogs can learn respect and restraint---why can't humans?

    • 1 year ago
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