{"id":2173978,"date":"2024-03-31T12:00:04","date_gmt":"2024-03-31T10:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2173978"},"modified":"2024-03-30T09:56:31","modified_gmt":"2024-03-30T08:56:31","slug":"chick-killer-on-the-loose-officials-hunt-for-person-who-shot-endangered-baby-whooping-crane-to-death-in-louisiana-and-are-offering-a-12500-reward-for-information-leading-to-arrest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/chick-killer-on-the-loose-officials-hunt-for-person-who-shot-endangered-baby-whooping-crane-to-death-in-louisiana-and-are-offering-a-12500-reward-for-information-leading-to-arrest\/","title":{"rendered":"Chick killer on the loose: Officials hunt for person who shot endangered baby whooping crane to death in Louisiana – and are offering a $12,500 reward for information leading to arrest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Officials are on the hunt for the killer of an endangered chick found dead in Louisiana.<\/p>\n

The Dallas Zoo, where the chick was born, announced the death last week, saying the bird was found with gunshot wounds two months after being released into the wild – it was part of a conservation program to increase the dwindling population.<\/p>\n

Zoo and wildlife officials are offering a $12,500 reward for information leading to an arrest or indictment.<\/p>\n

Whooping crane chickens are protected under the Endangered Species Act and individuals who harm the creature see up to one year in jail and $50,000 in fines.<\/p>\n

\u2018It is with a heavy heart that we announce our whooping crane chick, released to the wild in November 2023, was found deceased with a fatal gunshot wound on January 9 near Mamou, Louisiana,\u2019 the Dallas Zoo shared in a post on X.<\/p>\n

\u2018If you have any information relevant to this case, please reach out to USFWS at 985-882-3756 or the LDWF Lake Charles Office at 337-491-2588.\u2019<\/p>\n

The chick was found dead in an agricultural pond on the south side of Besi Lane.<\/p>\n

A necropsy determined that the crane was shot, which resulted in a fracture of the spine and internal hemorrhaging.<\/p>\n

The whooping crane was released by the zoo into the wild of Western Louisiana, which the team celebrated as a conservation win at the time.<\/p>\n

Staff said the team had been working on the project for five years, starting with adult whooping cranes breeding to hatch viable eggs.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The zoo received a whooping crane egg, then put under their incubating pair and the couple raised the chick as their own. Pictured is the chick with one of its adopted parents<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The Dallas Zoo released the chick (pictured) into the wild last November – two months before it was found dead in Louisiana<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The egg came to Dallas Zoo from the International Crane Foundation, which staff then put under their incubating pair and the couple raised the chick as their own.<\/p>\n

The crane was introduced with three others from the Audubon Institute to acclimate the birds before they head off into the wild.<\/p>\n

\u2018With this release, the whooping crane population in Louisiana now stands at 85 cranes,\u2019 the Dallas Zoo said in a November statement.<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019re so proud to be a part of the ongoing effort to save this iconic species from extinction.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Dallas-raised chick was found dead on January 9 in Mamou, sparking an investigation by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).<\/p>\n

The reward for information about the dead chick includes the USFWS offering up to $5,000, the LDWF up to $2,500, the International Crane Foundation up to $2,500 and the Dallas Zoo up to $2,500.<\/p>\n

The whooping crane stands up to five feet tall, making it North America\u2019s tallest bird, and is distinguishable by its unusual \u2018whooping\u2019 sound.<\/p>\n

There are less than 600 in North America.<\/p>\n

In the 1940s, only 21 whooping cranes remained in the wild due to overhunting and habitat loss, which sparked conservation programs that bolstered the population.<\/p>\n

This article<\/a> by Stacy Liberatore was first published by The Daily Mail on 18 March 2024. Lead Image:\u00a0Officials are on the hunt for the killer of an endangered whooping crane chick found dead in Louisiana.<\/em><\/p>\n

What you can do<\/h2>\n

Help to save wildlife by donating as little as $1 – It only takes a minute.<\/p>\n

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