The reward for information leading to a conviction in the fatal shooting of a bald eagle in southern Louisiana has risen to $20,000, as state and federal wildlife investigators continue searching for whoever killed the protected bird. The eagle was discovered injured on December 5, 2025, near the intersection of Robert Road and Wilmer Road in rural Vermilion Parish, close to Lake Peigneur. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) agents located and captured the bird before it could be examined, but officials determined that its injuries were consistent with a fatal gunshot wound. The eagle died shortly after being found and was later sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a detailed necropsy. The case has remained unresolved despite investigators receiving several tips. The Centre for Biological Diversity, which increased its contribution to the reward, is now urging anyone with information to come forward.
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