Steve Hall, Adirondack Wildlife Refuge and Rehabilitation CenterJay, New York - August 22, 2011
Two men were in court Monday for a crime that left wildlife rehabilitators stunned. The Essex County New York men are accused of stoning a Great Blue Heron to death.
Wendy Hall checks on one of the many birds she cares for at the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge and Rehabilitation Center in Wilmington. She is still shaken up by the sight of one of the birds she recently tried to save. "To see a healthy animal that's been destroyed for whatever reason is criminal to me," she said.
Two weeks ago police say two men threw numerous stones at a Great Blue Heron that had been living near the Jay Covered Bridge. A witness notified authorities who brought the bird to Hall and her husband Steve, who run the center. But she was unable to save it. "Both the wing and the leg joints were separated. In addition, there were many contusions around the body. It had been struck many times, in many different places," Hall said.
The Great Blue Heron is a migratory bird protected by the federal government. "The Great Blue Heron feeds on small water animals, it will grab fish, it will grab tadpoles, frogs. If you take animals like that out of the ecosystem, then what happens to those animals they prey on will over breed," Steve Hall said.
Twenty-two year old Ryan Slater of Wilmington and 28-year-old Michael Martindale of Jay are charged with killing protected wildlife and animal cruelty.
"It's a heinous crime to attack a bird that is an easy target. It stands there and they took advantage and it was particularly distasteful what they did," said Capt. Larry DiDonato with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. "It's rare, it doesn't happen all the time. Last year we had similar cases where loons and their nests were attacked."
If convicted, Slater and Martindale each face up to a year in prison and a 2-thousand dollar fine. The two men could face federal charges but right now investigators say that is unlikely.
Matt Henson - WCAX News
