Endangered whooping crane ("First Mom"), prominent in species recovery success program, found shot

[katkat]

Source: U.S. FIsh & Wildlife

Wildlife law enforcement agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the
Indiana Department of Natural Resources are investigating the shooting of an endangered
whooping crane near the town of Cayuga in central Vermillion County, Indiana.

The crane was shot sometime between Saturday, Nov. 28, when it was observed by an
International Crane Foundation staff member, and Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, when an ICF
volunteer found the carcass along West County Road 310 North, just west of North
County Road 225 West.

The crane was identified by a leg band, and determined to be the seven-year old mother
of “Wild-1,” the only whooping crane chick successfully hatched (in 2006) and migrated
from captivity.

“To kill and abandon one of 500 remaining members of species shows a lack of
reverence for life and an absence of simple common sense,” said John Christian, FWS
Assistant Regional Director for Migratory Birds. “It is inconceivable that someone
would have such little regard for conservation.”

Read more: http://www.operationmigration.org/USFWS_whoopingcrane.pdf

---

This is "First Mom."

This follows someone breaking into Operation Migration's hanger and destroying an ultralight trike used in training the birds on their first migration and personal property stored by the people on migration with the cranes to the tune of $30,000.

Here's their website:

http://www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html

I don't usually ask people to donate to causes, but please send them money. I hope this is not against DU rules:

You can donate $10 or join as a member here:

http://www.operationmigration.org/contribute.htm

or donate more here:

http://www.operationmigration.org/mile_makers.htm

[Blandocyte]

1. Cheezuz HMS Christ

What the effin effin EFF? I hope they find the person who did this.

[No Elephants]

2. Anyone know where Cheney was at the time?

Despite the lame attempt at gallows humor, this is incredibly sad. I hope the shooter is identified and punished.

[Tansy_Gold]

4. If I learned my ex-brother-in-law had done it, I would not be surprised

He's done similar disgusting things.

And he lives in Indiana.



TG

[The Stranger]

3. How can this particularly important crane get killed without anyone knowing about it?

The observers are deaf to shotguns being discharged near the cranes?

Help me get my mind around this one.

[elocs]

6. I live in a city on the Mississippi here in WI and I hear gunshots all the time lately.

Its called "hunting season" and I don't pay any attention to it or wonder if somebody has gotten shot. There's no reason to believe it is any different there.

[katkat]

10. Stranger

The origin and destination refuges are fairly big areas (not as big as one would like). The released cranes are actually wild, that's the goal. The observers make periodic overflights at the refuges to count noses, but they don't/can't have the birds under observation constantly, it's just too big.

Also, Indiana where she was shot is not at the end points of the migration path, so she and her mate were migrating over several states distance. There is some tracking even then, because most of the birds have functioning transmitters.

It's impossible to express how depressing this is. Reaching reproduction in the wild is a crucial step. This is the worst bird to lose.

[truthisfreedom]

5. So very, very weird.

Wow.

[AndyA]

7. Probably another idiot with a gun out shooting things for the sport of it.

I wish these stupid people would just shoot themselves and leave other living things alone to spend their lives in peace.

[tosh]

8. I could not agree more.

I hope someone knows who the idiot is and turns them in.

A public flogging is in order, followed by heavy fines and a prison term.

[Canuckistanian]

9. They should put up a reward for the capture of the shooter

People like that need to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
:grr:

[katkat]

11. reward

There is a reward. U.S. Fish & Wildlife has ponyed up $2,500, see the link in the original post for details.

[Kingofalldems]

12. One of the many gun nuts who shoot anything they see

[dysfunctional press]

13. "To kill and abandon one of 500 remaining members of species shows a lack of reverence for life..."

well there's an ignorant statement.

how would the shooter know that there are only 500 left?

[katkat]

14. dys

Here's a clue. Know what it is you're shooting at before you pull the trigger? I know that's a strange concept to some people, given the number of hunters who shoot their buddies, sons, innocent people standing in their own backyards, and livestock.

[dysfunctional press]

15. thanks for the advise, but i'm not a shooter...

guns are for limpdick idiots.

[merh]

16. Those responsible for breaking into the hanger and destroying

property are TERRORISTS. Yes, they are domestic terrorists and should be treated as such.

:grr:

[alfredo]

17. It was just pure meanness.

[Hidden Stillness]

18. Sickening, Sad and Horrible

There is something deeply disturbing--and significant--about somebody who would deliberately seek out and murder a small, gentle creature who was ignoring them and living its own life, posed no problem, and was not useful as for people who need to hunt for food. Criminal psychology and animal welfare groups now routinely understand the link between animal cruelty or senseless murder, and violence against human victims. There are also many males especially, who get themselves furious by working up their own hate against groups they consider to be "privileged," while they themselves are "put-upon." This can be deadly.

There are also other cases like this, that have been reported on, for example the drunken group of males who were illegally shooting ducks--a protected species, at a protected lake, out of any duck season anyway, with handguns, not legal hunting shotguns, etc.--and laughed about it, posted themselves shooting wildly at these groups of birds, and the people who saw/heard this on YouTube protested, and they were tracked down and charged. There have been other cases of animal killing, and laughing about it, put on the internet. It is sickening and outrageous. Also, I will never forget the horror and fury I felt, about 20 or 25 years ago, driving down a main street in my city, and seeing a few sea-gulls trying to pick up and move a bag of fast food someone had cropped out of a car window, to eat it. Along comes this prick in a truck, who veered over half a lane, to hit and crush about three of them at once. I was yelling, almost crying right there, and the blank, dead look on this prick's face, just smugly, happily staring ahead, was like nothing I have ever been able to understand. With all the excuses violent males get, it should be faced that they are mean and cruel, and they get away with it because their victims are "not important."

This is why there are laws protecting certain species: they are getting rare, they can't fight back against predators, their habitat is being killed as they themselves are, they are commercially exploited, and they are victims of cruelty and lack of caring. This is a terrible story. Does society never make any progress against cruelty and needlessly inflicted suffering?

[katkat]

19. sorry, Hidden

I am so sorry that happened and that you saw it. I saw a gull killed in a street, not on purpose, I think. When I first saw it it was injured and trying to get to the side of the road. The traffic started up an instant later before I could react and after the gull had moved about two feet, right into the path of the wheel of a car. As far as I know, the driver did not know the gull was there, the gull was so close to the car. However, I don't know what happened before I got there to injure the gull. It was horrible, and I will never forget it.

[Withywindle]

20. I killed a rabbit with my car once.

There was nothing I could do, it just ran out in front of me. I cried for hours. GOD, I felt terrible, and I never wanted to drive that car again, although I had to. If it had been an endangered species I really might have done some harm to myself, I felt that lousy.

I will never, never, ever understand people who do it for kicks and feel no remorse. And I don't want to either.

[amborin]

21. sickening! but thanks for posting!

[katkat]

22. additional reward

In addition to the $2,500 reward from U.S. Fish & Wildlife for whoever shot the First Mom whooping crane, another $3,000 reward is offered, this one for whoever broke into their hanger and vandalized the ultralight and other belongings:

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_0523edea-e69c-11de-85f1-001cc4c002e0.html

"Community groups and individuals in Juneau County are offering a $3,000 reward for tips leading to the conviction of whoever burglarized an airplane hangar in Necedah used by Operation Migration, the group dedicated to re-establishing the Whooping Crane population.

Several ultralight plane wings were slashed, and a whooping crane sculpture made by one of the pilots was smashed. The damage was discovered Nov. 20.

According to Operation Migration, lights were smashed and tires slashed on the vehicles of two staff members. One, who lives with the endangered birds all year, lost all his belongings.

The Juneau County Sheriff's Office estimates the loss was more than $30,000.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Juneau County Crimestoppers at 1-800-826-8477 or go to www.juneaucrimestop.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous."

[Edweird]

23. That's sad. Some people are such scumbags.

Cranes aren't 'food' nor are they predators. They don't hurt anybody. Whoever did that is a pathetic loser.

[MH1]

24. almost makes you wonder if humanity deserves what is coming to it

ok, some individuals don't. but some individuals certainly do.

:banghead: