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A cash reward is being offered to anyone who can provide information leading to the identification and arrest of the individuals responsible for the shooting death of a whooping crane.
Dallas Zoo officials announced on Wednesday that the whooping crane chick, born at the zoo on June 10, 2023, was discovered deceased with a gunshot wound near Mamou, Louisiana, on January 9.
Initially hatched from an egg transferred from the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the chick was placed with foster parents Huckleberry and Juniper at the Dallas Zoo. Its successful hatching marked a significant milestone for the zoo, being the first time in its 136-year history that a whooping crane was hatched.
Subsequently, the chick was added to the group of whooping crane chicks at the Audubon Species Survival Center in Louisiana in September. In November, it was released into the wild at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area, contributing to the state’s whooping crane population, which reached 85 birds.
Whooping cranes, native to North America, are among the rarest bird species and have been classified as endangered since 1970. Conservation efforts have been ongoing to help their population grow.
Harming whooping cranes is strictly prohibited under the Endangered Species Act due to their federally endangered status.
The Dallas Zoo, along with other organizations, is offering a reward of at least $12,500 for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are conducting investigations into the incident.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 985-882-3756 or the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Lake Charles Office at 337-491-2588.