Three wildlife support groups are offering a $6,000 reward for information about the shooting and killing of a female sea otter in Morro Bay.
The otter was found dead near Morro Strand Campground on the beach north of Morro Bay. A necropsy—an animal autopsy—revealed that it had been killed by a pellet gun round to the head. The California Department of Fish and Game said the sea otter was killed between 9 a.m. and noon on June 24.
Otters are protected by federal and state laws. The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Wildlife Land Trust are offering $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the killing. The Defenders of Wildlife have put up $2,500 and the Californians Turn-in-Poachers and Polluters have put up $1,000.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact special agent Mona Iannelli of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (310) 328-1516, Ext. 229, or DFG Warden Hank Hodel at 610-3920. An anonymous report can also be made by calling Department of Fish and Game’s CalTIP line, 1-888-DFG-CALTIP. ∆
This article appears in Jul 8-15, 2010.