Federal authorities investigating deaths of 13 bald eagles on Eastern Shore

According to Thomson, the eagles have been tagged “and the investigation is being handed over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service”.

Maryland Natural Resources police received a call on Saturday from a man reporting four dead eagles near Federalsburg in the eastern part of the state, said spokeswoman Candy Thomson.

Thirteen bald eagles were found dead at a Maryland-area farm over the weekend and federal authorities are now investigating, and offering a reward for any information.

“The Lacy Act was passed in 1900, and protects bald eagles by making it a Federal offense to take, possess, transport, sell, import, or export their nests, eggs and parts that are taken in violation of any state, tribal or US law”.

After police arrived, they searched the grounds and found nine more dead eagles, the Baltimore Sun reports.

“It’s been 30 years since we’ve seen anything like this involving this many dead bald eagles”. The carcasses will soon be shifted to a forensic wildlife lab in Oregon.

Nationwide, bald eagle numbers have steadily increased since the chemical DDT was banned in 1973.

A reward of $2,500 is being offered for information in the case. The investigation is continuing at this time.

Thirty years ago, officials said eight bald eagles were found dead in Maryland.

Eagles aren’t known to eat dead animals frequently, but numerous substances used to rid the region of mice don’t cause immediate death. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it prohibits the taking of any bald or golden eagle, which includes to “pursue, shoot, shoot at, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, molest or disturb”. He initially believed that the birds were dead turkeys.

Bald eagles, the country’s national bird symbol, were taken off the Federal Endangered Species list in 2007.