Wildlife officials in Vermont are offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can help them catch the person who shot and killed a bald eagle, reports . The adult bird was found last month in the Addison County town of Bridport, per . A research band attached to the bird shows it was first spotted in the state back in 2006.
Bald eagles are off the endangered species list, but they remain protected at the federal and state levels. Vermont has 45 territorial pairs, according to . It wasn't immediately clear if the bird found last month was part of one of those pairs.
The fine under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act for killing one of the protected birds is $100,000. (More stories.).
