When Pigs Fly
The hunter who "accidentally" shot and killed an endangered California condor south of Bakersfield last month was no one-time loser, according to the Bakersfield Californian.

Britton Cole Lewis was also charged with another misdemeanor crime of unlawfully bringing a mounted white-tail deer head to California after killing it in Illinois while using an invalid Illinois deer permit, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

The LA Times story (via Calblog) says the condor shooting took place during a pig hunt on the Tejon Ranch. Granted, those birds are pretty big and ugly, but they certainly don't have snouts. Despite the fact there are only 79 live condors, Lewis has been charged lightly since he didn't know the bird was endangered:

Lewis was not charged with violating the U.S. Endangered Species Act, apparently because of a little-known 1998 Justice Department policy that seeks a higher level of proof in such cases, according to a source familiar with the investigation. Essentially a defendant must know the animal was endangered, said the source, who asked for anonymity because it is a pending legal matter.

Yeah, I'm sure a hunter from Tehachapi has never heard of the California condor.

The bird he shot, known as AC-8, played a pivitol role in the state's program of saving the birds from extinction.
- posted by Amy @ 5/01/2003 09:25:00 AM