DALLAS, Texas – Authorities are investigating after a rare whooping crane, which hatched at the Dallas Zoo last year, was shot and killed in Louisiana.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Dallas Zoo said the bird was found dead on Jan. 9 near Mamou, Louisiana. The zoo and other organizations are offering a reward of at least $12,5000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment.
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The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are investigating the shooting.
The Dallas Zoo received the egg from the International Crane Foundation last year, after it was laid by whooping crane pair Anzac and Slash in Wisconsin. It was the first successful hatching of a whooping crane at the Dallas Zoo.
While in Texas, the chick was raised by foster parents Huckleberry and Juniper, according to the foundation.
It was released to the wild in November. It was less than two months old when it was killed.
“Wildlife conservation is at the heart of everything we do here at the Dallas Zoo. While we often celebrate great success stories, the work we so passionately undertake is often marked by challenges and setbacks beyond our control,” the zoo said in a statement.
Though their populations are slowly rebounding, whooping cranes are still listed as endangered in the U.S.
When they were first listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1967, only 50 of the birds existed. The USFWS says it is estimated that more than 500 whooping cranes currently exist in the wild.
“Whooping Cranes are the most endangered of the world’s crane species, and the Louisiana Whooping Crane population is currently estimated to be 81 individuals,” according to the International Crane Foundation. “The flock is designated as a non-essential, experimental population but is protected under state law, the Endangered Species Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.”
It is illegal to disturb or harass whooping cranes.
Anyone with information is asked to contact USFWS at 985-882-3756 or the LDWF Lake Charles Office at 337-491-2588.