Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is asking for the public’s help to locate the person who injured a bald eagle north of Denver.
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According to a press release, Northglenn park rangers and animal control officers found the bird on the shoreline of Croke Reservoir. After capturing the eagle and bringing it to a local wildlife rehabilitation facility, officials discovered it had been shot in the wing with a ball bearing. The animal underwent surgery and is now recovering at the facility.
Bald eagles are a federally and state-protected species. That means shooting or injuring one is illegal.
The road to recovery for the species is years in the making. In the 1960s, eagles were nearly decimated nationwide by the pesticide DDT, which was later banned in 1972. At the lowest point, there were just over 400 nests across the country.
In recent years, avian influenza has also impacted the species, but wildlife officials in Colorado say the numbers are making a strong comeback. In 2023, they recorded more than 300 nesting pairs along the Front Range.
Anyone with information about the injured bird in Northglenn should call CPW’s Operation Game Thief (OGT) at 1-877-265-6648 or email game.thief@state.co.us. Reports to OGT can remain anonymous. You can also contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-844-397-8477 or fws_tips@fws.gov.
