What’s killing bald eagles in Pennsylvania? Deadly drug is found in some, state says

Bald eagles are mysteriously dropping dead in Pennsylvania and investigators say a deadly drug used to euthanize livestock has become the biggest clue in their case.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission says three dead eagles have been found since the last week of February, all in the same general area 40 miles northeast of Scranton.

“Necropsies of the eagles showed no signs of trauma. However, toxicological screenings performed on two of the eagles revealed traces of a controlled drug commonly used to euthanize domestic animals and livestock,” the commission posted on Facebook.

How the birds came into contact with the drug is one of many mysteries in the case.

Multiple federal laws protect bald eagles, with penalties including a year in prison and fines starting at $100,000 for a first offense, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which is participating in the investigation.

All three dead eagles were found near Honesdale, in Wayne County, officials said. The first turned up Feb. 28 “alive but in poor condition.” It eventually died, state officials say. The second was found on March 16 and a third showed up April 4, the state wrote on Facebook.

Investigators have not said whether the birds may have been killed accidentally or on purpose, leading to a lot of speculation and fierce debate on social media. Nearly 400 people commented in a matter of hours on the state’s April 28 Facebook post.

“If this was a deliberate poisoning, I hope you find the person(s) involved and prosecute fully,” one commenter wrote. “But, eagles being carrion-eaters as well, is it not likely they may have all consumed meat from the carcass of a euthanized farm animal?”

Others noted accidental poisoning from eating dead animals should be unlikely, given state Department of Agriculture guidelines call for dead livestock and poultry to be buried in a licensed landfill or incinerated in something other than an open air fire.

This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 7:23 AM with the headline "What’s killing bald eagles in Pennsylvania? Deadly drug is found in some, state says."