A juvenile bald eagle was euthanized after being found shot on Independence Day in a Maryland state park, authorities said.
A group of birders at Swan Harbor Farm, a state-run park in Havre de Grace, Md., found the bird panting and with a contorted body on July 4, according to Candy Thomson, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Natural Resources Police.
The birders contacted an eagle rehabilitation specialist, who alerted Natural Resources Police, and an officer transported the animal to a rescue center, keeping the air conditioning on to try to keep the bird cool, Thomson said.
The rescue organization completed X-rays on the bird and found that it had been shot.
“Someone clearly took aim at this bird and it had a pellet lodged near its spine,” Thomson said.
The rescue organization determined the bird could not be saved, and it was euthanized, according to Thomson.
Because of the location of the bird’s injury, Thomson said it was unlikely that it had flown far, and may have been shot in the state park.
“You gotta wonder about people,” she said. “Shooting an eagle on July 4. Seriously?”
Killing a bald eagle is a federal offense punishable by fines up to $250,000, Thomson said.
Police asked that anyone with information about the incident contact them at 410-260-8888.