A North Carolina man pleaded guilty to killing a bald eagle near Farmers Fish Camp Road Bridge in Sparta on Friday.

What You Need To Know

  • On June 5, 2024, a man shot and killed a bald eagle

  • Bald eagles are a protected species under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act

  • The man pleaded guilty and is facing up to a year in prison and was fined $9,500

On June 5, Robert Garner Gambill, 91, from Sparta, without permission, set his Ruger M77 Mark 2 22-250 rifle on a fencepost, then shot and killed a bald eagle, according to a press release from the United States Department of Justice.

Gambill admitted to killing the bird and then leaving the crime scene in court on Friday, said Dena J. King, the U.S. Attorney of the Western District of North Carolina and Douglas Ault, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement (USFWS).

The eagle’s body was found by two people who witnessed the event, and it was taken into USFWS custody. The USFWS forensic laboratory performed an animal autopsy and found injuries like those from a gunshot from a high-powered rifle, officials said in the release.

Under the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act, it is illegal to take, hunt, possess, capture, kill or bother a bald or golden eagle, its nest or its eggs, unless allowed by an authorized permit from the U.S. Secretary of Interior, authorities said.

Gambill is facing up to one year in prison and was fined $9,500, the release said. His sentencing date has not been set, and he was released on bond.

Contact the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission or local law enforcement for help with hunting and fishing violations. To submit information on wildlife crimes, visit Wildlife Crime Tips or call 1-844-397-8477.

To learn more about what you can do with orphaned or injured wild animals, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.