A whooping crane born at the Dallas Zoo last year was found fatally shot in Louisiana earlier this year, the zoo announced Wednesday.
The crane, hatched at the zoo in June, was found with a gunshot wound Jan. 9 near Mamou, Louisiana.
The crane was the Dallas Zoo’s first successful hatching of the species in the institution’s 136-year history. As part of the zoo’s conservation efforts with the Whooping Crane Center of Texas, the bird was released into its natural habitat within Louisiana’s population in November.
Harming whooping cranes, a federally endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, is strictly prohibited, zoo officials wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The death is being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. A reward of at least $12,500, from multiple organizations including the Dallas Zoo, is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and indictment in the case, according to the zoo.
“Conservation is at the heart of everything we do at the Dallas Zoo,” officials said in a statement. “While we often celebrate success stories, the work we so passionately undertake is often marked by challenges and setbacks beyond our control. The impact of this significant loss is felt by everyone involved.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 985-882-3756 or the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Lake Charles Office at 337-491-2588.