The Hancock Wildlife Foundation is offering a $5,000 reward to the person who cut down a prominent eagleB次元官网网址檚 nest tree off Croydon Drive B次元官网网址� but only if that person can provide proof of who paid them to do the job.

Foundation founder David Hancock said that itB次元官网网址檚 obvious the tree cutter didnB次元官网网址檛 act alone, and he would like to know who funded the operation.

B次元官网网址淎t some time, maybe the kid who (cut down the tree), will say, B次元官网网址極K, five grand, IB次元官网网址檓 going to rat on the guy that paid me.B次元官网网址� ThatB次元官网网址檚 what weB次元官网网址檙e hoping,B次元官网网址� Hancock said Tuesday.

July last year, the City of Surrey received a call that a tree, located on private property at 2112 160 St., had been partially cut and was at risk of falling.

A city arbourist visited the site that afternoon and determined that the tree was at a high risk of falling due to it being cut on both sides, and almost all the way through.

Hancock supervised the removal of the tree, and agreed that there was no alternative B次元官网网址� the tree had to come down.

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The tree was home to an eagle nest, which Hancock had observed for the previous eight years. The nest could be easily spotted from Highway 99, and was active every year.

Last year, the city told Peace Arch B次元官网网址 that an investigation had been opened by both the city and province, and that the vandalism to the tree was an infraction of the cityB次元官网网址檚 tree-protection bylaw and the provincial Wildlife Act.

Conservation Service officer Alicia Stark told PAN this week that the investigation is still open.

The minimum fine that could be imposed under the Wildlife Act is $575. However, the investigation is complicated due to a lack of witnesses.

Under the cityB次元官网网址檚 tree-protection bylaw, fines of up to $2,000 can be issued.

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B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 had anyone come forward with information but are still wanting people to call our (Report All Poachers and Polluters) line if they have information,B次元官网网址� Stark wrote to PAN. B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 been able to lay any charges.B次元官网网址�

Even though itB次元官网网址檚 been a little more than a year since the tree was damaged, Hancock said heB次元官网网址檚 still regularly asked by residents for an update on the investigation.

B次元官网网址淚t always comes up,B次元官网网址� Hancock said. B次元官网网址淓very time I give a talk in the region, itB次元官网网址檚 the first question B次元官网网址� what happened? It really is.B次元官网网址�

Although the tree came down July last year, Hancock suspects that the cut was probably made in May.

B次元官网网址淚t was slowly dying. He only cut about a little over half of it. The birds, who were on eggs or had very tiny young, they abandoned the nest and they went and built another nest.B次元官网网址�

Despite losing their home, the pair of eagles B次元官网网址� Hancock caught the male and equipped it with a GPS-tracking device B次元官网网址� appear to be doing just fine.

B次元官网网址淲hen they came back after their migration, they went straight to (the new nest) and raised three young there, this yearB次元官网网址� I have not caught the female yet. ItB次元官网网址檚 my great wish to catch the female so we know where the pair goes. I tried and tried and I couldnB次元官网网址檛 catch her, sheB次元官网网址檚 very suspicious.B次元官网网址�

Hancock has caught and installed GPS devices on 17 birds. All of which, he said, are northern breeders.

The eagles returned from their northern adventures on Sept. 22.

Hancock said heB次元官网网址檚 scheduled to have a meeting Wednesday to try and analyze data received from the GPS devices, and come up with a theory of why all the eagles seemed to have returned on the exact same day.

B次元官网网址淭he big thing is probably the fact that itB次元官网网址檚 so competitive in the Lower Mainland, that if you donB次元官网网址檛 get back and look after your nest, somebody else is going to claim it.B次元官网网址�

Hancock said, B次元官网网址渋n the bird world,B次元官网网址� the first eagle to claim a nest as its territory is, statistically, most likely to win the battle.

Hancock said that cutting down eagles nests, despite the illegality, has been happening for years in the province.

B次元官网网址淥ver my lifetime, even in the 30 years that IB次元官网网址檝e lived here, IB次元官网网址檝e just watched dozens and dozens and dozens of eagles nests just get chopped down,B次元官网网址� Hancock said, adding that only recently has there been more enforcement on the illegal activity.

B次元官网网址淥nly since the NDP took power that weB次元官网网址檝e saved a single eagle nest,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he concern, or the difference is, has to do with the enforcement of the Wildlife Act. That happened only when the NDP got in, all of the other governments have neglected it.B次元官网网址�