Officials investigate death of bald eagle on Alaska campus

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the death of a bald eagle found at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported Wednesday that a wildlife service criminal investigator says the eagle appears to have been shot.

The bird’s carcass was discovered May 21 in a wooded area near a parking lot on the university campus.

The official says a veterinary clinic used x-rays to determine there are metal fragments in the bird.

The investigator says the carcass will be sent to a fish and wildlife service forensics laboratory for further analysis.

The bald eagle has been a federally protected animal since the passage of the Bald Eagle Protection Act in 1940.

The law carries a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment and a $100,000 fine.

Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com