North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Bald Eagle

Robert Garner Gambill, a 91-year-old man from Sparta, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to killing a bald eagle on June 5, in violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Gambill used a high-powered Ruger M77 Mark 2 rifle to shoot the eagle while it was perched in a tree and abandoned its carcass on the bank of the New River. Witnesses reported the incident to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which recovered the bird and confirmed it died from a gunshot wound. Gambill has agreed to pay a $9,500 fine and faces a maximum of one year in prison, although his sentencing date has not yet been set. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act prohibits the killing of these federally protected birds without a special permit, with violations carrying severe penalties. U.S. Attorney Dena J. King and USFWS officials emphasized the importance of protecting these species.