Unalaska, ALASKA — A man was issued a citation after he allegedly ran over a group of Bald Eagles feeding on a roadway near a landfill in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
Two of the Bald Eagles died and two others were seriously wounded after Thompson plowed over the animals in a Ford truck.
A jogger witnessed the act and reported it to Unalaska police who turned the case over to the Alaska State Troopers.
Troopers cited 28-year-old Dennis Thompson, of Oregon, for using a motorized vehicle to harass or molest game and accused him of accelerating his truck through several bald eagles.
The two injured birds were not captured. Thompson’s arraignment is scheduled for June 30 in Unalaska District Court.
The bald eagle is Alaska’s largest resident bird of prey with a wing span of up to 7.5 feet (2.3 m) and weight between 8 to 14 pounds (3.6 – 6.4 kg).
Found only in North America, bald eagles are more abundant in Alaska than anywhere else in the United States. The Alaska population is estimated at 30,000 birds.
These magnificent birds, recognized for their biological importance as scavengers and predators in the natural world, are much admired for their beauty. A national emblem of the United States since 1782, they have been a spiritual symbol for Alaska Natives far longer than that.
[File photo from audublog, not the actual bird related to the story]
