A man who killed an osprey says he did so because he was frustrated and annoyed with a nest in his yard. The menacing act had far-reaching consequences.
In June, Michael Hardin of Hayden, Idaho, shot the bird with a pellet gun while it was in flight, and its mate never returned, the Coeur d'Alene Press reported. A chick in the nest died, and an egg never hatched.
Hardin pleaded guilty in August to a misdemeanor, unlawfully taking an osprey. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail, which was suspended, and one year of unsupervised probation; fined $600 with $300 suspended; and ordered to take a hunter safety class. He must also pay $50 in restitution to Idaho Fish and Game, all per the outlet.
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A neighbor found the dead osprey and reported the killing, earning a $250 reward, which they donated to Birds of Prey Northwest.
"The wildlife belongs to the people of Idaho," First District Judge John Cafferty said, per the Press. "You took your neighbor's bird. You took my bird. You took [the prosecuting attorney's] bird. You took the bailiff's bird."
Facebook comments about the crime said Hardin should have received much harsher punishment.
"That is terrible," one person wrote. "He should do jail time."
The osprey, a raptor that lives all around North and Central America, has rebounded since pesticides, including DDT, were banned in 1972. Various conservation efforts, such as the building of nesting platforms high atop telephone poles around Chicago, as well as similar actions in New Jersey and South Australia, signal how important it is for people to step in when animals are in trouble.
Ospreys, who sport yellow eyes, can travel 160,000 miles in their 15-20 year lifetimes and are expert fishers, with a 25-70% success rate at catching prey.
Those marvelous features are one reason why Hardin's act was so heartbreaking. Another is that ospreys mate for life.
"It was a horrible decision," he told the Press. "I'm going to do everything I can to make amends. My neighbors are very important to me. I lost friends. I hope to get them back."
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