Endangered Species Day: Colorado’s endangered species
The Internet has informed me that it’s Endangered Species Day. Never heard of it? Well, neither had I, and it might have something to do with the fact that I (and presumably others) got a press release about it today, as opposed to well ahead of time when people could actually do something with it. But let’s not let that take away from a campaign with a simple and legitimate cause — making folks aware of the endangered animals in their midst. Read more
When eagles die: National Eagle Repository is the eagle morgue
The National Eagle Repository is the home for all recovered dead bald and golden eagles in the U.S., but not a lot of folks — no, not even eagle enthusiast and former Attorney General John Ashcroft — had ever heard of it before this summer.
In June, a hiker discovered a beheaded bald eagle corpse on the north slope of Legion Park Hill in Boulder. The gory find spurred countywide concern and even a $2,500 Humane Society reward for tips on the source of the mutilated eagle. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that the eagle mutilation was part of a growing trend fueled by the black market value of eagle feathers and talons:
Special agent Ken Dulik, who works for Oberholtzer, has investigated the killing of eagles for 20 years and knows the prices eagle parts can bring on the black market.
A whole eagle carcass – whether golden or bald – can bring a minimum of $1,000, with the going rate closer to $1,500, he said. Individual tail feathers of immature golden eagles, which are highly prized, bring about $100. A tail fan of a golden eagle brings between $500 and $800, he said.
Bald-eagle tail fans can bring $500.
After nearly a month, the Department of Wildlife announced that it had received an anonymous tip saying that the eagle was beheaded as part of a Native American ceremony (for which a permit had been granted). Read more





