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Bird dies after getting shot by blow dart, FWC investigating

Posted at 12:07 AM, Jul 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-17 15:22:08-04

UPDATE FROM FWC: "This type of incident and investigation will still fall under the FWC even after the transition is complete due to the wildlife violation aspect of this incident," said a spokesperson via email. They also mentioned the transition from FWC to DEP won’t impact other aspects of enforcement efforts such as boating safety, law enforcement in the state parks, public safety and resource protection.

BOCA GRANDE, Fla. — Charles Foster works near The Island School on Boca Grande and found an injured Egret with a blow dart hanging out of it’s leg Saturday.

“When I saw the blow dart in it, I was kind of really annoyed. It seemed like a really low-life thing to do,” said. Foster.

So, he decided to pull the dart out of the bird’s leg and toss it. Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rescued the bird shortly after, and FWC started investigating.

Pamela Defouw tended to the injured bird before it died at the Wildlife Center of Venice.

“It was a very painful injury,” she said. “The dart went through one leg and into the other.”

She said she doesn’t see blow dart injuries too often.

“We haven’t seen a blow dart injury probably in a couple of years. We have seen a lot of arrows in birds, rocks being thrown at them,” she said.

Egrets are one of hundreds of federally protected birds, and it’s getting harder to get away with crimes against them. Earlier this month the state transferred it’s Environmental Crimes Enforcement Unit over to the Department of Environmental Protection, which recently added 20 more law enforcement positions across the nation, dedicated to solving cases like this.

Defouw warned people to be careful of birds if they’re out shooting, especially now.

“This is nesting season for them. They’re teaching their young to survive on their own,” she said.

Defouw added even though the man who found the bird was trying to do the right thing, she recommends letting a medical professional remove anything hurting an animal and contacting FWC as soon as possible, so they can investigate. You can call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 to report any violations.