Sad news for endangered species. As an aside - there was a report of an =
injured woodcock in DC on Oct. 29 as reported in the Washington Post =
Animal column today. =20
Kansas hunters shoot endangered cranes
Thursday, November 11, 2004 Posted: 9:44 AM EST (1444 GMT)=20
WICHITA, Kansas (AP) -- Two of the world's roughly 500 whooping cranes =
were shot by a group of hunters who said they mistook the endangered =
birds for sandhill cranes, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent said.
Farmers found the injured cranes Saturday near the Quivira National =
Wildlife Refuge in south-central Kansas. One crane died Wednesday; the =
other is still recovering.
Charges have not been filed against the seven hunters, and authorities =
won't release their names until the U.S. Attorney's office reviews the =
case, said wildlife agent Kenny Kessler.
Killing a whooping crane could lead to a sentence of up to a one year in =
prison and a $100,000 fine.
The hunters said they thought the birds were sandhills when they opened =
fire on the first day of goose and sandhill crane season. They said they =
believed the birds would survive after watching them fly off.
The cranes were part of a flock of about 230 that migrates from Canada's =
Wood Buffalo National Park to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on =
the Texas Gulf Coast each winter.
=20
Denise Ryan
Washington, DC
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