Magic Valley farmer loses 54 lambs after bald eagle attacks

Magic Valley farmer loses 54 lambs after bald eagle attacks

TONIGHT... I'MROLAND BERES...A FARMER IN THEMAGIC VALLEY SAYSHE LOST 54 LAMBSAND 75-HUNDREDDOLLARS INREVENUE AFTER ALONG SERIES OFBALD EAGLEATTACKS...IDAHO NEWS SIXREPORTERSTEPHANIE GARIBAYSPOKE WITH HIMABOUT WHY HETHINKS THIS ISHAPPENING...WARNINGGSOME OF THEVIDEO YOU AREABOUT TO SEE ISGRAPHIC ANDCONTAINS ANIMALSIN DISTRESS."FOR A SPAN OF 10DAYS ROCKYMATTHEWS KEPTFINDING DEAD ORINJURED LAMBSRIGHT HERE ON HISFARM...AT FIRST HETHOUGHT SOMEONEWAS SHOOTING ATTHE LAMBS BUTTHEN HE FOUND THEREAL PREDATOR.""THEN ONE MORNINGWHEN I WAS OUTPUSHING THE SHEEPTHE EAGLESWOOPED DOWNAND HIT ONE OFTHEM AND KIND OFLIFTED HIM ANDDROPPED HIM ANDTOOK OFF, SO I RANOVER THERE."ROCKY AND HIS WIFEFIRST STARTEDFINDING DEAD LAMBSDURING THE SECONDWEEK OF APRIL...ONEMORNING THEYFOUND SEVEN DEADBY EIGHT AM.THEFOLLOWING WEEKTHEY DECIDED TOGET FISH AND GAMEINVOLVED..."AT THAT POINT WEKNEW WE HAD TOCALL SOMEBODY IN.IT WASN'T JUST YOUKNOW, WAIT IT OUTOR ANYTHING ATTHAT POINT SO WECALLED FISH ANDGAME AND THEY GOTUS IN CONTACT WITHFISH AND WILDLIFESERVICES AND THATGENTLEMEN CAMEOUT.BUT THE PROBLEMCONTINUED AND FORA SPAN OF 20 DAYSTHE EAGLESATTACKED 57LAMBS...54 DIED ANDTHREE SURVIVED"HE SAID WE GETCALLS ANDACCOUNTS OF THISALL THE TIME.

BUTHE SAYS USUALLY ISHOW UP ANDTHERE'S NOT MUCHYOU CAN PROVE...HESAID THAT IT'SREALLY REALLYRARE FOR THEM TOFINDDOCUMENTATION."FISH AND GAMEWORKED WITHROCKY TO TRY TOCOME UP WITHSOLUTIONS FORBOTH THE LAMBSAND THE BALDEAGLES TOCOEXIST...EVENMOVING THE LAMBSTO A DIFFERENTLOCATION"IT WAS KIND OFTOUGH THEY TRIEDMOVING THE HERDOR THE FLOCK IGUESS CLOSER TOTHE HOUSE WHERETHE EAGLES MIGHTBE LESS TEMPTEDTO FLY IN.

I THINKTHAT ONLY WORKEDFOR A COUPLE OFDAYS."ANOTHER OPTIONROCKY HAD WAS TOREMOVE THE NESTBUT SINCE EAGLESARE PROTECTED BYMULTIPLE FEDERALLAWS HE DIDN'TWANT TO GOTHROUGH ALENGTHY PROCESSTO GET A PERMIT."WE FIGURED THATWASN'T THE RIGHTWAY TO GO ABOUTIT.

WE DIDN'T REALLYWANT THEM GONE,THEY'VE BEENTHERE 20 YEARS,THEY HAVE NOTPOSED A PROBLEMYET AND THEN THISYEAR WASDIFFERENT."A POSSIBLE REASONFOR THIS,ACORRDING TOROCKY.

BECAUSETHE MONTH OF APRILTOOK SOME TIME TOWARM UP...MEANINGTHE CARP INMURTAUGH LAKEWHERE THE EAGLESUSUALLY FEED FROMWERE NOTSWIMMINGTOWARDS THE TOPWHICH CAUSEDTHEM TO GOWITHOUT FOOD"WELL THIS YEARTHERE WASN'T AFISH TO BE FOUNDDURING THATPERIOD, THE WATERWAS JUST COOLERAND THE FISHWEREN'T RISING.

IREALLY BELIEVETHAT'S WHATSTARTED IT."WITH THE WARMERWEATHER...THEEAGLES HAVE NOTATTACKED HIS LAMBSSINCE...FISH ANDGAME SAYS ITSUNUSUAL FOR BALDEAGLES TO ATTACKSHEEP AT ALL ANDTHIS SITUATIONSHOULD NOT BE ACONCERN FOROTHER FARMERS"IT'S VERY UNUSUALFOR BALD EAGLESTO TRY AND TAKELAMBS AT ALL.

I'VEHAD SOMEBIOLOGISTS CALLAND SAY ARE YOUSURE IT WAS BALDEAGLES'?"ROCKY ESTIMATESTHE LOSS HAS COSTHIM 7500 DOLLARS INREVENUE AND ISWORKING WITH THEUSDA TO GETREIMBURSED"WE FEEL PRETTYCONFIDENT THAT WEWILL GET SOMEREIMBURSEMENTAND THAT'S A GODSEND."STEPHANIE GARIBAYIDAHO NEWS 6ROCKY PLANS TOBUILD A SHED TOPROTECT HIS HERDIN THE FUTURE.WE CALLED A HALFDOZEN EAGLESPECIALISTS TODAYWHO SAY THEY'VENEVER HEARD OFEAGLES KILLINGLARGE NUMBERS OFLIVESTOCK.THEY SAY IT'SPOSSIBLE, BUTCOMPLETELY OUT OFCHARACTER FOR THE