$8k reward for information on deaths of common loon pair and chicks

OKANOGAN COUNTY, Wash. - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking the public for information about two adult common loons and their chicks that were found shot and killed near Beaver Lake.

WDFW says there is an $8 thousand reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the deaths.

Officers were alerted to the deaths the weekend of June 22. Two adult loons and one chick were recovered with the help of community members. A second dead chick was reported in the lake earlier that day. Gunshots were heard in the area the evening before officers arrived.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call WDFW at 877-933-9847, email reportpoaching@dfw.wa.gov or text 847411. Reports can also be made online on WDFW's website.

The common loon is a federally protected migratory bird and listed as a state sensitive species in Washington. WDFW says there are only 12 known breeding pairs of common loons nesting this year in northeastern Washington.

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