By Khalida Sarwari
An endangered species protection advocacy organization introduced a new public phase today in its campaign to bring to justice the perpetrators behind the shootings of two condors earlier this year.
The Center for Biological Diversity distributed Old West-style wanted posters bearing a photo of a condor and the condor tip line number and e-mail address.
The center is offering a reward of $40,000 for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter or shooters, which is possibly the largest reward ever posted in the shooting of an endangered species, said the center’s urban wildlands director Adam Keats.
“We want to make sure that everyone knows we’re relentless, we’re not giving up and we’re doing everything to find the shooters,” Keats said.
The posters will be printed in both English and Spanish to be distributed throughout a 7,000 square-mile remote and rural area, including Pinnacles National Monument, a mountainous area the birds once called home. The area encompasses San Benito and Monterey counties.
The campaign supplements a covert investigation being conducted by private investigator Bruce Robertson, who has been tracking leads and developing the case since April, a month after the birds were discovered.
“We don’t have any specific leads as to who the perpetrator is, but we have gained information which is narrowed down in the area where we think the crimes may have happened,” Robertson said.
Robertson said the new phase of the campaign aims to publicize the case to the farmers and ranchers who occupy the area and who don’t have access to media outlets.
Robertson said it is unknown exactly when and where the shootings occurred, but that it is believed condors were shot sometime in the beginning of this year possibly near their nesting range.
“We’re very hopeful that anyone out there with any knowledge will take the opportunity to bring justice to this case and make money at the same time,” Robertson said.
The penalty for shooting at an endangered species is one year in prison and a fine of $100,000.
Anyone with information about the shootings is requested to call the condor tip line at (800) 840-1272 or e-mail condortip@gmail.com.