The International Crane Foundation submitted comments to the United States Attorney scheduled to hear the case of the accused shooter of two Endangered Whooping Cranes killed on January 11, 2016 in Beaumont, Texas (click here to read ICF’s full statement).

“The non-migratory, reintroduced population of Whooping Cranes that lives in Louisiana has had the highest shooting rate of any of the populations, with 8 Whooping Cranes being poached since the reintroduction began in 2011. The number includes the two Whooping Cranes illegally shot on January 10 of this year. At the end of 2015, there were just 46 birds in the Louisiana flock, with 3 considered “long term missing” but not yet declared dead.…the recent shooting of the 2 Whooping Cranes represents a loss of more than 4% of the entire flock.” 

                                                                 – from the ICF statement submitted to the U.S. Attorney

The accused shooter, Trey Joseph Frederick, was arraigned on Monday, January 25, 2016 and pleaded not guilty to the charges of shooting and killing the two endangered Whooping Cranes.  Representatives of the International Crane Foundation were in court attendance and asked that Frederick be prosecuted to the fullest extent to deter future perpetrators of shooting crimes.

Photo by Associated Press