Young bald eagle found shot in Beaufort, is euthanized

A young bald eagle found shot in Beaufort had to be euthanized by veterinarians.

The eagle was euthanized after being found near the Spanish Moss Trail at Allison Road after being shot with “four metal densities,” Port Royal Veterinary Hospital wrote in a Facebook post Friday. Since the eagle is a protected species, the clinic had to receive permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The bird’s wing was broken and ripped off, according to the post, which included a photo and X-Ray images of the injured eagle.

“To the person who shot this bird, you need to be held accountable for the death of this animal,” the Facebook post read.

The Facebook post about the eagle was later removed and replaced with a note saying the clinic was asked to remove the post because of the ongoing investigation.

The bird was brought in Thursday afternoon after the clinic received a call from Beaufort County Animal Services. Anyone with information may call the Center for Birds of Prey in Awendaw at 843-971-7474.

The center will work with state Department of Natural Resources officers on the investigation, Port Royal veterinarian Marikay Campbell said.

The incident was the second known case this month of an animal found shot.

A dog was found on Robert Smalls Parkway after being shot point-blank in the spine with a pellet gun. The 1-year-old Schnauzer was left partially paralyzed and is being treated in North Carolina.

A $5,000 reward has been offered for the arrest and conviction of the dog’s shooter. Anyone with information can call Beaufort County Animal Shelter and Control at 843-255-5010.

This story was originally published December 23, 2016 at 11:40 PM with the headline "Young bald eagle found shot in Beaufort, is euthanized."