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San Pedro, CA
A
reward has been posted in the shooting
deaths of seagulls in Southern California.
Only one of the five seagulls found
shot in the Manhattan Beach area
in late October was able to be saved.
The gulls, all shot
with some type of pellet gun, were
taken to International Bird Rescue
Research Center (IBRRC) in San Pedro,
the premier center for the care
of seabirds in Southern California.
Four of the birds had to be euthanized
due to their severe injuries.
Palos Verdes Peninsula News,
Editorial, Dec. 1, 2005
The fifth bird, which
was shot in the neck, is expected
to fully recover and be released.
X-rays showed a pellet in its neck,
but surgery to remove it would have
been too risky. The bird also had
a fractured left wing, which had
to heal perfectly in order for it
to be released back into the wild.
Erin Kellogg, rehabilitation
manager at the center, said, “Gulls
are all about flying. This bird
is very fortunate that we were able
to rehabilitate it and save its
wing. We are observing his flying
skills in our 60 foot long aviary.
He is flying, eating well and looking
strong. We are very hopeful he can
be released next week and that someone
will come forward with information
that will bring this bird killer
to justice.”
The Humane Society of
the United States (HSUS) is offering
a $2,500 reward for information
leading to the arrest and conviction
of the person or persons responsible
for the shooting. The California
Department of Fish & Game is
investigating this case. Anyone
with information is asked to call
Lt. Kent Smirl at (714) 638-8488.
Animal cruelly is a
felony in California and the killing
of migratory birds without a permit
is a federal crime punishable by
fines, jail, or both.
California gulls (Larus
californicus) are medium size gulls.
They have a yellow bill with black
ring near the tip and red spot on
the lower mandible.
More information about
International Bird Rescue Research
Center can be found on their website
at www.ibrrc.org.
IBRRC has been helping
birds around the world since 1971.
Its mission is to mitigate human
impact on aquatic birds and other
wildlife. This is achieved through
rehabilitation, emergency response,
education, research, planning and
training.
Media contact:
Public Affairs Director
(831) 622-7588
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