Reward increases to $15,000 for shooting death of Whooping Crane

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Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) officials are still looking for leads regarding a whooping crane that was found shot to death in Red River Parish in April. The Humane Society of the United States and the The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust are offering $5,000, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation is offering $3,800, LDWF's Operation Game Thief Program is offering $1,000, the USFWS is offering $1,000, the Whooping Crane Conservation Association is offering $1,000, John Perilloux is offering $1,000, anonymous donors are offering $1,250, the International Crane Foundation, through the restitution money from the South Dakota whooping crane shooting case, is offering $500, the Audubon Nature Institute is offering $250, and the Louisiana Ornithological Society is offering $200. This brings the total in rewards to $15,000 for anybody that has any information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

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The whooping crane was found and recovered from the bank of the Red River about two miles northwest of Loggy Bayou on April 16. After a necropsy of the crane, it was determined that the bird was shot with a 6.5mm/.264 caliber projectile. Investigators believe the bird was shot between April 10 and 14. The whooping crane was a part of LDWF's whooping crane reintroduction program and was fitted with a GPS tracking device. The last tracking point of the crane moving was on April 10 near where she was eventually found dead on April 16. The last tracking point received was on April 14 at the location she was found.

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