$14,000 reward in death of eagles

By Times Wires
Published January 19, 2008

BRADENTON

Reward donations have hit $14,000 for information that helps catch the person who shot an American bald eagle in Manatee County. Sarasota-area lawyer Larry Byrd says about $12,000 in pledges had been received by Thursday. That's being added to a $1,000 reward put up by the federal government and $1,000 from Byrd himself. The female eagle was found Sunday by an Audubon Society member. It was sitting in its nest with two eggs. After their mother was shot, the baby eagles incubating in the eggs also died. The shooter could face three federal charges of killing an eagle.

PANAMA CITY

Man charged with killing black bear

Wildlife authorities have charged a man with killing a black bear in Gulf County more than a year ago.

Investigators say Robert Stephen Hall of Panama City is charged with a third-degree felony count of killing the bear in December 2006. He could get five years in prison.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission contends Hall killed the bear on property where he and several friends hunted near the intersection of Bay, Gulf and Calhoun counties.

Meanwhile, wildlife officials are still searching for the person who shot and killed two female black bears in Gulf County last month, which were found just before Christmas.

[Last modified January 19, 2008, 01:14:22]