Missouri wildlife officials seek help in finding person who shot bald eagle

POTOSI, Mo. -- Missouri wildlife officials are seeking the public's help in finding the person who shot and injured a bald eagle, which later had to be euthanized.

The protected raptor was reported injured Friday when the U.S. Forest Service called Conservation Agent Jaymes Hall about the bird having been spotted in southern Washington County, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Hall said he found the injured bird and managed with help from other law enforcement to capture it and take it to the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, which specializes in rehabilitating and propagating birds of prey.

"As I approached it, I realized it wasn't able to fly at all," Hall said. "Most of the time, the calls I get about injured eagles, they're actually just sitting there, eating something or hanging out in an open field uninjured. This was the first eagle I've ever had to handle, injured."

A veterinarian at the sanctuary who performed surgery Saturday on the eagle to try to save it found two gunshot wounds that were inoperable and had to euthanize the bird.

Officials believe the eagle was most likely shot on Feb. 3 or Feb. 4.