What to Know
- Authorities are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest of whoever stole a Bald Eagle from an NY refuge
- 35-year-old Sammy was taken July 16; he has a partially amputated wing and can't fly, so he can't survive on his own
- Anyone with information is asked to contact the Quogue Village Police Department at (631) 653-4781
Authorities have increased their reward to up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest of whoever stole a 35-year-old Bald Eagle from a Long Island wildlife refuge earlier this month.
The eagle named Sammy, who has a partially amputated wing and can't survive on its own in the wild, was taken from his enclosure at Quogue Wildlife Refuge at some point between 2:15 a.m. and 4:15 a.m. on July 16.
The bird enclosure's wired fence had been cut open and pulled back, police said. Sammy had been living at the Suffolk County refuge since 1988 after it was injured in the western United States. The surgery on his wing rendered him unable to fly, authorities say.
"He will be stressed and cannot survive without our care. We want him back unharmed," the refuge posted on Facebook, sharing a video of the bird.
Bald Eagles are a federally protected species and possession of them is punishable by fines and jail time. The $20,000 reward includes $10,000 from the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and up to $5,000 each from Crime Stoppers and the Nassau County SPCA.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Quogue Village Police Department at (631) 653-4781.
