I need to write someplace about the terrible wrong that has happened to me regarding Anubis the barbary falcon I flew for 13 years.

Here is the the timeline letter I sent to USFWS.

Carmen Simonton, Reese Collins, Marci Lockwood

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Permits

P.O Box 49208

Atlanta, Georgia  30359

November 18, 2011

Dear Marci, Reese and Carmen:

I am writing to report the criminal death of my male Barbary Falcon,  “Anubis”1998 hatch, band # RV083418.  

He was lost in a fly off incident during a presentation at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival in the mid-afternoon (around 3:30-4:00) on Sunday November 13^th, 2011.   A telemetry search that evening and the next morning came up empty.  On Tuesday, November 15^th, an airplane scan was done in the afternoon and evening hours.  A signal was picked up in the region of N Prevost Lane, near Loranger, Louisiana, close to Camp Living Waters.   The next day (Thursday morning and evening) a signal was picked up and tracked to the end of N Prevost Lane.  I initially thought that the signal was emitting from dog tracking collars from the dogs in the area and stopped the search that evening.   Early the next morning on Thursday, November 17^th, a friend used a borrowed telemetry unit; and tracked the signal to under a pine tree at a northwest angle behind a single-wide trailer at the end of N Prevost Lane.   Under a large pine tree, he found the jesses, with the anklet intact, bells ID tag, and the telemetry tacking unit.  All of these items were intact and un-cut.   He brought me the equipment that morning with the bad news.  This was very near where I had tracked the signal the previous day.   The very same evening on November 17^th, I went with him and another friend to see exactly where the equipment was found.  The three of us went to the property and to the base of the pine tree and also found the bird’s seamless band, intact with the secondary ID tag still attached.  This means that the bird was killed, probably shot, the legs cut off, the falconry equipment and ID tags removed and discarded.  The items were not scattered, but were all found together at the base of the pine tree.   We looked for signs of the dead bird, but no feathers or anything was found.     Photos were taken of the location of the items, as well as orientation photos of the surrounding area for orientation to the buildings and barn in the area.  I have in my possession the bird’s falconry equipment that he wore, plus photos of the area where the equipment was found and orientation photos. 

This is an outrageous and heartbreaking event in me and my husband’s life.  He was one of our favorite birds, an exceptional falcon, with his gentle personality, tameness, and skills in the air and his personality on his perch. 

This is especially distressing since I volunteer my time at Hunter Safety classes for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission in my home state of Florida.  

I have phoned law enforcement in Louisiana and the USFWS offices as well to start an investigation to find the perpetrator of this crime.  I wish to find out who did this horrific act to a beloved and valuable falcon. 

Sincerely,

Karen I. Tolson Carroll