Illegal trade in body parts Man in the USA allegedly killed at least 118 eagles
A man has been charged with helping to kill at least 118 eagles. He allegedly sold feathers and body parts of the protected animals on the black market.
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- A man has been charged in the USA with killing at least 118 white-tailed eagles and golden eagles and selling their body parts.
- As part of an illegal wildlife trafficking ring, he is said to have made between 180,000 and 360,000 dollars.
- The defendant is due to be sentenced on September 18.
A man in the western US is alleged to have helped kill at least 118 eagles. According to court documents, he is said to have participated in an illegal wildlife trafficking ring to sell the feathers and body parts of the animals on the black market.
The man had probably killed many more eagles. The 118 specimens were documented by his text messages. However, two years of his messages were missing, reports NBC News.
The court verdict against the man is due to be announced on September 18. The ring is alleged to have been active on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana and other locations. Prosecutors accuse the man from Cusick in Washington state of making between 180,000 and 360,000 dollars from 2009 to 2021 by selling body parts of bald eagles and golden eagles.
It was not unusual for the man to kill up to nine eagles in one go, the prosecutor's office in Madonna wrote in court documents on Tuesday. He not only killed the animals, but also "hacked them to pieces" in order to make a profit from them. Eagle wings, tails, feathers and other parts are coveted by Native Americans, who use them in ceremonies.
Claim for damages: 777,250 dollars
Prosecutors asked Judge Dana Christensen to impose a substantial prison sentence and damages of $777,250 - $5,000 for each eagle killed and $1,750 for each hawk that investigators believe the defendant and his associates killed.
The bald eagle is the heraldic animal of the USA. Since 1940, it and the golden eagle have been protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act in the USA. Without a permit, it is forbidden to sell, trade or offer the animals, as well as to accept or transport them.
