$15k reward for information about killer of rare whooping crane
Will Harlan is a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. He said he’s grieving the senseless and illegal killing of this majestic bird, and the perpetrator has to be brought to justice.
MAMOU, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – An organization has increased a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who killed a rare bird in Mamou, Louisiana.
The Center for Biological Diversity raised the reward to $15,000 after beginning with a $5,000 reward during the first week of March 2024. Their intention is to find information leading to the arrest of whoever killed a whooping crane near Mamou, Louisiana.
Will Harlan is a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. He said he’s grieving the senseless and illegal killing of this majestic bird, and the perpetrator has to be brought to justice.
“This cowardly act against a critically endangered and beloved bird can’t go unpunished,” said Harlan. “I hope someone does the right thing and steps forward with information.”
The whooping crane was found dead beside an agricultural pond near Besi Lane in Mamou in early January. Mamou is located in Evangeline Parish.
An autopsy of the protected bird found the bird was shot.
Louisiana’s whooping cranes are endangered and protected under two acts: the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Habitat loss and shootings caused the population to fall to only 15 birds in recent decades. Louisiana’s native population went extinct years ago.
Whooping cranes are making a comeback, though. Today more than 600 of these majestic birds live in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.
They are America’s tallest bird, standing at more than 5’ tall with a wingspan of 7’.
In the wild, the birds can live as many as 28 years, and mating pairs are bonded for life.
They are the world’s rarest crane species.
Around 85 whooping cranes call Louisiana home.
If you have information to share about the shooting of the whooping crane in Mamou, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (985) 882-3756 or the Louisiana Department of Wildlife.