The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is investigating the shooting of six pelicans at Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area that left five birds dead and another injured.
The birds were discovered Tuesdy morning at the lake, about 120 miles southeast of Springfield. The birds were shot less than two days prior, according to DNR Conservation Police Sgt. Dave Hyatt.
It does not appear the birds were shot at a different location and dumped at the lake because they were found near a road by the lake where pelicans are known to congregate, Hyatt said. The shooter likely drove by, saw the birds and decided to shoot them, he said.
“It’s possible they could have been mistaken for another type of bird,” Hyatt said. “I don’t think that’s the case here.”
The injured pelican was taken to the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine for treatment. The bird is expected to survive, but it is too early to determine if it will fly again, Hyatt said.
Pelicans, large migratory birds that move from northern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, are protected under federal and state laws. They began stopping at Newton Lake during spring migration about 5 years ago, the DNR said in a Facebook post.
The DNR has some persons of interest in the case but has not yet identified a suspect. Though the DNR does not have specific criminal charges determined, Hyatt said that based on the current evidence they may include shooting from a roadway, possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle and the unlawful killing of protected animals.
Local
Anyone with information is being asked to call the anonymous IDNR tipline at 877-236-7529.
This case comes less than a month after 91 snow geese were found illegally shot and dumped in northwest Indiana near Hebron.
