MOUND CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say two hunters have been arrested after killing a federally protected trumpeter swan and wounding a tundra swan in Missouri.
The Springfield News-Leader reports that the suspects haven’t been identified pending the filing of charges. They were arrested last week while hunting in Holt County in far northwest Missouri.
The dead swan was seized as evidence, while the wounded one was released the next day. Trumpeter swans have an 8-foot (2.5 meters) wingspan, making them the largest waterfowl to fly across Missouri during their annual winter migration. Tundra swans, which are smaller, also are a protected species.
Missouri Department of Conservation wildlife agent Jade Wright says the hunters likely mistook the birds for snow geese. But he says mistaken identity doesn’t matter when it comes to considering charges.
