Raptor Education Group Incorporated (REGI) at Antigo has seen an increase in the shooting of protected animals.
2 eagles were shot in Northern Wisconsin just last month. Both have since died. It's not the first time a shooting of this kind has made headlines and it's likely not the last.
REGI Executive Director Marge Gibson said they responded to 24 shootings in 2019. "Not all bald eagles," said Gibson. "But all protected species."
Gibson posed the question, "if we've seen that, how many are we not seeing?" She estimates the 900 injured animals they see yearly are only 2-5 percent of how many are really out there.
When these most recent shootings happened in February, there was no hunting season open at the time.
Since the birds are federally protected, the DNR and U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife are investigating the crimes.
The maximum penalty is $100,000 and a year in prison.
Gibson urges people at home to step up and speak out. "It's going to take that, in the remote area where we live, to make the difference and to break the case."
Anyone with information about the shootings can call or text the DNR's tip line at 1-800-847-9367 or submit a violation report online.
You can also help the animals directly by volunteering and donating at REGI.
