The two condors are still alive but suffer from lead poisoning from ingested lead and wounds from shotgun pellets.
$40,500 reward offered in shooting of 2 California condors
LA Times
$40,500 reward offered in shooting of 2 California condors
by
Author
Ken Cole is a 5th generation Idahoan, an avid fly fisherman, wildlife enthusiast, and photographer. He is the interim Idaho Director for Western Watersheds Project.
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Comments
The hiring of the private investigator sure makes it sound like maybe they are afraid of politics infecting USFWS law enforcement after 8 years of Bush perversion of justice (and people involved in it) at all levels – including de facto selection of those who would toe the line, attrition and hiring practices? I wonder if some powerful locals may be involved – so a need for outside scrutiny?
I agree with kt you would think USF&WS would welcome any help. Also, it would be nice if this sort of thing worked with the Mexican Wolf shootings; but that issuch aclose-knit community that even the somewhat hefty rewards are not working.
I usually stay away from gun/hunting/gun control problem. I don’t have aproblem with thosee who own guns even though I do not. I don’t hunt, but I think if it is done in the true intention of the “sport” and within realistic and scientific limits on take people have the right to do that. But after the shootings last week and the sort of thing in this article as well as Mexican Wolves, I think the people that support gun rights need to find a way to police their own. I know some of these people that go in and shoot up a building full of people are probably crazy and may not have purchased a weapon legally, but some are of an awareness of what the hell they are doing and doing it with their own legally bought and registered weapon. I don’t know what the answer to that is but maybe those who do support the right to bear arms could weigh.
ChrisH, yes and maybe the sugar plum fairy will bring you a winning lottery ticket. The gun advocates always wash their hands of the kind of responsibility that you are asking for. Remember, it is the finger pulling the trigger that is responsible, not the trigger itself. And the NRA and pals do little to deal with the finger on the trigger, only wanting to make sure there are plenty of triggers out there to pull.
And yes, I know that the NRA has lots of gun training workshops for people that give a damn so save your vinegar. I am talking about the people for whom the NRA makes sure they can buy plenty of weapons but who don’t want to go though any gun education. The gun advocates wash their hands of these people yet they are usually the ones that cause the greatest harm.
On the redroom blog, where I write often, there was a author who came up with an idea of allowing anyone to carry guns anytime. . . only they only legally get one bullet. If they shoot it they have to go to a kind of court to get another one and explain how they used their bullet. I can’t seem to shake this idea out of my head and have been turning over different ways to make it work. It is interesting and has some psychological, moral, legal, and human nature characteristics to the solution that would be interesting to try out. I will re-find the article if I can.
“Save your vinegar” now that seems interesting to say, beings it looks like you are spewing your own vinegar there jdubya…
Now in reading about both the Pittsburgh as well as the Washington state shootings, if the people around these two, would have just followed the law and reported them to local authorities these two incident would probably have been prevented as both of these shooters were ineligible to own guns..the Pittsburgh shooter was dishonorably discharged from the military and the Washington state shooter had a previous felony conviction, both disqualifying factors for owning any type of firearm..and even though the NY shooter allegedly showed a “Permit” in the photo, there is strong question if it was legal and if it was a permit for the weapons that he used…
By the way, I am a gun owner, but don’t belong to the NRA as I believe they are way out there on many of their positions and lobbying efforts..
Now back to the Condor shootings I hope the hell they find those who did it and prosecute them to the fullest, strip them of their rights to own a gun if they have not already committed a crime that would have stripped their rights before and then put them in a nice cozy cell with a “Friend” As long as we have shallow sentences for those who commit wildlife crimes, you will continue to see wildlife crimes committed…which of course is what this original topic was about a reward for the solution to a wildlife crime..
Can we please stay on topic just once? This is not about wolves, gun control, or the Bush administration.
The USFWS, local and national media coverage, reward money and strong public support for condors in California has brought condor killers there to justice in the past. The USFWS has experienced wildlife investigators including undercover law enforcement. I applaud the CBD and other conservation groups for offering up the crucial reward money, but hiring a private investigator who poses for a newspaper article is not very constructive.
Gun control has been proven to have no correlation with a lowering in crime rates, usually its just the opposite.
Thats neither here nor there, I hope they catch these criminals and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
So sad. I had the good luck of seeing these condors last winter at Pinnacles. 375 was a frequent visitor, a funny, gawky young bird who was always getting harassed by the nesting Prairie Falcons. Like most younger condors, she was at the bottom of the pecking order and had to make do with less-desirable perches at roosting time, and wait till most of the other condors had had their turn feeding at a carcass. But she toughed it out. Here’s hoping she and 286 can tough this out, as well. Every condor in the program is more than worth its weight in gold.
jubya, My question was more of a challenge than a hope or dream. maybe I posed the question poorly.
chris c. I beg to differ that the killing of wildlife for poaching or for sheer malice is not acandidate for gun control discussion. I mentioned the Mexican Wolf program because I volunteered for that group in 2008 to man an info booth regarding the possibilty of reintroducing wolves to the Kaibab and Coconino Plateau. They now have Cal. Condors at the Grand Canyon region and some have suffered the same problems that the birds in California are experiencing.
While it is sad about two 2 condors, and I sincerely nail the people who did it and prosecute to the fullest extant, it is a widespread problem and it could and maybe should be the reason to control firearms (though I unfortunately think that will happen)
Why the hell would someone shoot a condor? I can *almost* understand people being afraid of things like wolves and bears; they do have the potential to be a threat to a person. But a freaking BIRD? What’re they gonna do, crap on your car?
I agree with you paulWTAMU. This is a bird that is no threat to anyone other than maybe crapping on your car or you. It might also squawk. Regardless, I hope the person or people responsible do get prosecuted.
Chris H, do you have a link to the group you were working with to reintroduce wolves to the Kaibab and Coconino Plateau?
ProWolf in WY,
Here you go: http://www.gcwolfrecovery.org/index.html
People don’t poach for any threat situation, they are plain and simply doing it because they can and then they can brag, the major downfall of poachers is they can’t keep their mouths shut, and several times they will tell the story and someone will overhear the conversation…