GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — Officials say a preliminary examination of the dead bald eagle found Tuesday morning shows no signs of foul play, according to the Grand Haven Tribune.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is continuing to investigate after a bald eagle was found dead Tuesday in Grand Haven.
Scotti Roc found the bird laying on the ground on a walkway at Grand Isle Marina. He said he was walking along the marina when he found the dead bird.
Roc contacted police immediately, he said. Roc shared photos of the bird on his Facebook page. They show the eagle laying on the ground with blood on its beak and still clutching a branch. The photos are graphic.
The Grand Haven Department of Public Safety said they were told about the dead eagle near Harbor Island Drive east of U.S.-31. When officers arrived to the scene, the eagle had been moved.
Police said they later determined the DNR had already been notified about the eagle. The DNR located the eagle before police arrived, Grand Haven officials said.
Lt. Gerald Thayer, a district supervisor for the DNR, said at this point they do not suspect foul play was involved. The eagle will be sent to Lansing for a necropsy where officials can determine a cause of death.
Thayer said there does not appear to be any gun shots, but he speculated because the bird was found under a power line it's possible it flew into a power line.
Bald eagles are a protected species in the United States. While the cause of death has not yet been determined, the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 prohibits anyone from taking the bird, which including pursuing, shooting, shooting at, poisoning, wounding, killing, capturing, trapping, collecting, molesting or disturbing.
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