In three parts, The Sacramento Bee breaks open a horrible truth of wildlife protection: 10’s of thousands of animals are being indiscriminately killed.

The killing agency: Wildlife Services’ brutal methods leave a trail of animal death

(S)trangled in a neck snare, was one of the most majestic birds in America, a federally protected golden eagle.* (*A golden eagle is different than a bald eagle. See here.)

“I called my supervisor and said, ‘I just caught a golden eagle and it’s dead,’ ” said Strader. “He said, ‘Did anybody see it?’ I said, ‘Geez, I don’t think so.’

“He said, ‘If you think nobody saw it, go get a shovel and bury it and don’t say nothing to anybody.’ “

“That bothered me,” said Strader, whose job was terminated in 2009. “It wasn’t right.”

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/28/4450678/the-killing-agency-wildlife-services.html#storylink=cpy

The story gets even more devastating. Click here for Part I.

Some highlights:

• With steel traps, wire snares and poison, agency employees have accidentally killed more than 50,000 animals since 2000 that were not problems, including federally protected golden and bald eagles; more than 1,100 dogs, including family pets; and several species considered rare or imperiled by wildlife biologists.

• Since 1987, at least 18 employees and several members of the public have been exposed to cyanide when they triggered spring-loaded cartridges laced with poison meant to kill coyotes. They survived – but 10 people have died and many others have been injured in crashes during agency aerial gunning operations over the same time period.

• A growing body of science has found the agency’s war against predators, waged to protect livestock and big game, is altering ecosystems in ways that diminish biodiversity, degrade habitat and invite disease.