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Washington man accused of shooting, killing bald eagle facing federal charges
The eagle was found with shotgun pellets in its brain, federal prosecutors said.
ByBill Hutchinson 
Wednesday, August 5, 2026 1:20PM
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Federal criminal charges have been filed against a Washington state man whom authorities allege fatally shot a bald eagle in the head on his rural property, authorities said.
Benjamin G. Allen of Brush Prairie in Clark County, Washington, was charged Tuesday with violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and unlawfully killing a migratory bird, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
If convicted of the misdemeanor charges, Allen could face up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $500,000, the statement said.
ABC News could not reach Allen for comment on Wednesday. It was unclear if Allen has hired an attorney.
The 66-year-old Allen “is accused of shooting and killing the bird with a shotgun,” according to the statement.
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The incident occurred on Feb. 5, 2026, when a witness reported hearing a gunshot coming from Allen’s property, the statement said.
“According to records in the case, special agents from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife were called to the property in Brush Prairie regarding a dead eagle with blood around its head,” according to the statement, which further said that agents interviewed Allen about the deceased eagle and “his actions that day.” The statement did not disclose what Allen may have told the agents.
“Allen kept chickens not far from where the dead eagle was discovered,” the statement noted, adding that an exam by a veterinarian concluded the eagle died from two shotgun pellets found in its brain.
Allen has been summoned to appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Washington, on Sept. 8.
While bald eagles are the national symbol of the United States, they are no longer considered endangered. The birds, however, are still protected under the 1940 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which prohibits individuals from killing them.
The charges against Allen come after a 42-year-old Texas man, Santos Guerrero, pleaded guilty in May to federal charges that he fatally shot a bald eagle on his property near Houston in 2024. Guerrero faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine when sentenced, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
In another case in Washington state, 49-year-old Travis John Branson of Cusick was sentenced to nearly four years in prison and fined $777,250 after he pleaded guilty in 2024 to charges stemming from the killing of numerous eagles and hawks on Washington’s Flathead Indian Reservation, according to federal prosecutors.
Prosecutors said Branson admitted to a self-described “killing spree” of thousands of eagles and hawks between 2009 and 2021, butchering the birds and selling their parts, including eagle feathers, on the black market. Prosecutors said investigators traced the deaths of 118 eagles and 107 hawks directly to Branson.
Skunks, raccoons, squirrels, marmots hurt by rodent traps
Man turns himself in after warrant in cat abuse investigation in Upper Gwynedd
Steven Buchecker surrendered to authorities after an arrest warrant was issued for him on charges including felony animal abuse, making threats and witness intimidation.
By Deanna Durante • Published August 5, 2026 • Updated on August 6, 2026 at 9:15 am
Man accused of shooting, trapping cat turns himself in – NBC10 Philadelphia
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An arrest warrant is out for Steven Buchecker of North Wales, wanted for severely injuring a cat. A woman has been arrested in connection with the case. NBC10’s Deanna Durante has the exclusive story.
A North Wales man accused in what Upper Gwynedd Township police describe as a disturbing animal abuse case has turned himself in.
Steven Buchecker surrendered to authorities after an arrest warrant was issued for him on charges including felony animal abuse, making threats and witness intimidation. Another person, Meredith Ziemba, has already been arrested in connection with the case.
According to court documents, officers responded June 11 after receiving a report of an abused cat behind a home on North Wales Road. A tipster alerted police to the badly injured animal.
Investigators say the cat had been shot in the eye with a pellet, another pellet was lodged in its back and one of its paws was caught in a bear trap.
Court documents allege Ziemba knew the cat’s paw was caught in the trap and that Buchecker had shot the animal.
Police say Ziemba initially told officers there were no cats on the property. Officers searched the area and found the injured cat still caught in the bear trap.
Investigators estimate the cat had been trapped for several days in temperatures above 90 degrees.
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Officers cut the chains attached to the trap and took the cat to a veterinarian. Police say the cat lost one eye and part of one paw had to be amputated.
According to court documents, Ziemba and Buchecker discussed the cat with others and the possibility that it would die in the yard.
Police also allege Buchecker threatened the tipster who reported the abuse, leading to additional charges related to making threats and witness intimidation.
A check of court records also shows prior arrests on drug- and alcohol-related charges.
The cat has since been named Harvey and has been rehomed, police said.
Remains found on remote Alaska island identified as hunter missing since 2009
Bird flu decimated South America’s marine mammals. What can Australia do differently?
by Saia Nahir Bartes, The Conversation
edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
Bird flu decimated South America’s marine mammals. What can Australia do differently?
Credit: Richard Block from Pexels
Australia is now confronting an outbreak of a deadly bird flu strain. As of Monday, the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus had been detected in 78 wild birds across mainland Australia. Until now, there had been no evidence of a large-scale outbreak.
But authorities have confirmed the first instance of mass death caused by H5N1 among dozens of greater crested terns off South Australia’s southeast coast. They are also conducting further testing on a cluster of sick and dead terns in southwest Victoria.
As H5N1 spreads across the country, researchers, wildlife managers and the broader public are increasingly concerned about the risks it may pose beyond birds.
Recent outbreaks have threatened aquatic mammals, including southern otters, dolphins and porpoises. H5N1 has also decimated pinniped populations around the globe, including in South America. Pinnipeds are marine mammals that live in the sea and form colonies but spend extended periods on land, such as sea lions, fur seals and elephant seals.
As the risk of a broader outbreak rises, Australia must protect its wildlife by drawing on lessons from other continents already battling bird flu.
Looking to South America
H5N1 poses an urgent threat to wildlife worldwide. Since 2021, this fatal strain of bird flu has spread to every continent and infected poultry flocks, dairy cattle, wild birds and a growing range of wild mammals. In June, it finally reached Australia, first detected in a sick brown skua.
This strain has been particularly devastating in South America. In late 2022, H5N1 spread rapidly from infected seabirds into pinniped colonies. At least 30,000 South American sea lions died in Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil during the subsequent outbreak. In some areas, major breeding colonies lost up to one-third of their population within a single breeding season.
Current evidence suggests H5N1 also caused mass deaths in southern elephant seals—the same species as Neil the seal—with more than 17,000 pups dying at Península Valdés in Argentina. Scientists still don’t know how many adults died.
Our team of researchers—from the Universidad Nacional del Comahue in Argentina and Deakin University in Australia—documented a dramatic decline in the number of seals in northern Patagonia following the 2022–23 outbreak.
Subsequent studies across South America show infected pinnipeds developed severe neurological and respiratory disease. Symptoms include lethargy, tremors, impaired coordination and labored breathing, among others. Affected animals showed severe respiratory disease and neurological signs, and postmortem examinations revealed marked lung lesions. Many animals died within a short period after clinical signs appeared.
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Australian mammals at risk
Although concerning, the South American outbreak gives us crucial insight into how H5N1 spreads, which species may be most vulnerable and what strategies could reduce its impacts.
Each time H5N1 infects and replicates in a mammal, the virus becomes better at adapting to mammalian hosts. Monitoring how efficiently it spreads between mammals is therefore essential for protecting wildlife. It also allows us to assess the risk of human infection—which currently remains low—and the potential for a broader pandemic.
For now, H5N1 has not yet reached Australia’s pinniped colonies, which are already under pressure from fishery nets and hooks, pollution, habitat destruction and climate change.
So we still have time to protect them from H5N1. Authorities should start with Kangaroo Island, where infected seabirds have been found near the breeding habitat of the endangered Australian sea lion.
Other threatened marine mammals may also be vulnerable. This includes the rare Burrunan dolphin, of which there are fewer than 200 individual animals swimming around Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay and Gippsland regions.
So, how can we protect them?
As Australia’s number of confirmed H5N1 cases rises, urgent action is needed to protect our vulnerable marine mammals.
Australian authorities can learn from the South American outbreak by:
- frequently conducting population censuses to detect unusual deaths and sudden changes in the size of seal and sea lion colonies
- closely monitoring live animals and taking samples of any dead animals to track how the virus is circulating before any mass deaths occur
- removing all carcasses, particularly near tourist areas, to prevent scavenging birds, dogs and other animals from being exposed to infected animals
- ensuring researchers, wildlife managers and tourism operators stick to strict biosecurity protocols, such as wearing appropriate personal protective equipment when handling sick or dead wildlife and disinfecting boots and equipment between sites
- tightening biosecurity measures around food production, particularly intensive poultry farms where commercial poultry may be exposed to infected wild birds
The public can also help protect our vulnerable pinnipeds by:
- not approaching any sick wildlife
- keeping pets away from wildlife
- reporting any sightings of sick or dead birds, seals, sea lions or other animals to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline by calling 1800 675 888, noting details about the date, location, type and number of animals
As the number of infected seabirds rises, so does the threat of a H5N1 outbreak among Australia’s marine mammal colonies. South America reveals how devastating this virus can be for entire ecosystems. Australia should heed that warning while there is still time to protect its pinnipeds.
Exposing the Big Game 