Act now! $15,000 reward announced as time runs out to find key clue in eagle shooting case
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Content warning: This article contains details of animal cruelty.
A wounded wedge-tailed eagle has become the focus of an urgent search in Tasmania.
Somewhere in a grassy paddock lies an arrow that could hold the clues to catching whoever shot the bird.
Wildlife experts believe it may still carry fingerprints or DNA from the culprit—and they are determined to find it.
More than a week earlier, the arrow had pierced the eagle’s leg, leaving the apex predator in agony and struggling to survive.
Witnesses saw it flying with the red-feathered shaft still lodged in its limb, resorting to scavenging roadkill instead of hunting.
Craig Webb, founder of Raptor Refuge, began tracking the injured bird in late July after a tip-off from a member of the public.
‘It's just a despicable act, and it just shows, you know, the level of intelligence these people have,’ Webb shared.
Working with a specialist trapper, Webb used camera traps to pinpoint the bird’s movements in the coastal town of Margate.
A remotely controlled net fired from a cannon finally brought the eagle safely into care.
By then, the arrow had fallen out.
Through careful analysis of earlier photographs, Webb narrowed the likely drop zone to an area the size of 10 tennis courts.
‘We’re going to do a grid search, and some people are coming out with metal detectors on Saturday to see if we can find it,’ he said.
‘We’ve got to be extremely careful when we find it. We’ll need to be double-gloved so we can keep it forensically safe.’
The search terrain is mostly rough pasture, but a nearby dam poses a potential problem if the arrow sank beneath the water.
‘We just have to hope it hasn’t fallen in,’ Webb said.
‘But we think we have a pretty good shot of finding it.’
While the eagle is expected to recover, surgery is required to remove a bone fragment from its leg.
In Tasmania, eagles are protected, yet many still fall victim to human threats—including arrows and gunfire.
Webb said power lines are an even greater danger, killing birds on a weekly basis through electrocution.
Although cheap bird diverters, or ‘flappers’, can be installed to alert eagles to the wires, they are rarely used.
‘They kill birds weekly and not enough is being done about it,’ Webb said.
‘To be honest, I’m more angry about the power lines than the occasional idiot. That said, I’d love to catch them and convict them.’
Anyone with information about the shooting or able to assist with Saturday’s search can contact Raptor Refuge through its social media page.
The search for the missing arrow isn’t the only wildlife issue sparking strong emotions and calls for change.
Across the country, debates continue over how humans should manage and protect native animals—especially when lethal methods are involved.
One recent case has drawn attention well beyond our borders.
Read more: Wildlife culling sparks backlash as controversial method draws global scrutiny
Destroying such a magnificent predator for sport or malice is a reminder of the cruelty some wildlife face—will those responsible ever be held to account?
A wounded wedge-tailed eagle has become the focus of an urgent search in Tasmania.
Somewhere in a grassy paddock lies an arrow that could hold the clues to catching whoever shot the bird.
Wildlife experts believe it may still carry fingerprints or DNA from the culprit—and they are determined to find it.
More than a week earlier, the arrow had pierced the eagle’s leg, leaving the apex predator in agony and struggling to survive.
Witnesses saw it flying with the red-feathered shaft still lodged in its limb, resorting to scavenging roadkill instead of hunting.
Craig Webb, founder of Raptor Refuge, began tracking the injured bird in late July after a tip-off from a member of the public.
Arrow leaves eagle fighting for survival. Image source: Raptor Refuge
‘It's just a despicable act, and it just shows, you know, the level of intelligence these people have,’ Webb shared.
Working with a specialist trapper, Webb used camera traps to pinpoint the bird’s movements in the coastal town of Margate.
A remotely controlled net fired from a cannon finally brought the eagle safely into care.
By then, the arrow had fallen out.
Through careful analysis of earlier photographs, Webb narrowed the likely drop zone to an area the size of 10 tennis courts.
‘We’re going to do a grid search, and some people are coming out with metal detectors on Saturday to see if we can find it,’ he said.
‘We’ve got to be extremely careful when we find it. We’ll need to be double-gloved so we can keep it forensically safe.’
The search terrain is mostly rough pasture, but a nearby dam poses a potential problem if the arrow sank beneath the water.
‘We just have to hope it hasn’t fallen in,’ Webb said.
‘But we think we have a pretty good shot of finding it.’
While the eagle is expected to recover, surgery is required to remove a bone fragment from its leg.
In Tasmania, eagles are protected, yet many still fall victim to human threats—including arrows and gunfire.
Webb said power lines are an even greater danger, killing birds on a weekly basis through electrocution.
Although cheap bird diverters, or ‘flappers’, can be installed to alert eagles to the wires, they are rarely used.
‘They kill birds weekly and not enough is being done about it,’ Webb said.
‘To be honest, I’m more angry about the power lines than the occasional idiot. That said, I’d love to catch them and convict them.’
Anyone with information about the shooting or able to assist with Saturday’s search can contact Raptor Refuge through its social media page.
The search for the missing arrow isn’t the only wildlife issue sparking strong emotions and calls for change.
Across the country, debates continue over how humans should manage and protect native animals—especially when lethal methods are involved.
One recent case has drawn attention well beyond our borders.
Read more: Wildlife culling sparks backlash as controversial method draws global scrutiny
Destroying such a magnificent predator for sport or malice is a reminder of the cruelty some wildlife face—will those responsible ever be held to account?
