The Hancock Wildlife Foundation is offering a $5,000 reward to the person who cut down a prominent eagle乌鸦传媒檚 nest tree off Croydon Drive 乌鸦传媒� but only if that person can provide proof of who paid them to do the job.

Foundation founder David Hancock said that it乌鸦传媒檚 obvious the tree cutter didn乌鸦传媒檛 act alone, and he would like to know who funded the operation.

乌鸦传媒淎t some time, maybe the kid who (cut down the tree), will say, 乌鸦传媒極K, five grand, I乌鸦传媒檓 going to rat on the guy that paid me.乌鸦传媒� That乌鸦传媒檚 what we乌鸦传媒檙e hoping,乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒� 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 News that an investigation had been opened by both the city and province, and that the vandalism to the tree was an infraction of the city乌鸦传媒檚 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 city乌鸦传媒檚 tree-protection bylaw, fines of up to $2,000 can be issued.

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乌鸦传媒淲e haven乌鸦传媒檛 had anyone come forward with information but are still wanting people to call our (Report All Poachers and Polluters) line if they have information,乌鸦传媒� Stark wrote to PAN. 乌鸦传媒淲e haven乌鸦传媒檛 been able to lay any charges.乌鸦传媒�

Even though it乌鸦传媒檚 been a little more than a year since the tree was damaged, Hancock said he乌鸦传媒檚 still regularly asked by residents for an update on the investigation.

乌鸦传媒淚t always comes up,乌鸦传媒� Hancock said. 乌鸦传媒淓very time I give a talk in the region, it乌鸦传媒檚 the first question 乌鸦传媒� what happened? It really is.乌鸦传媒�

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

乌鸦传媒淚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.乌鸦传媒�

Despite losing their home, the pair of eagles 乌鸦传媒� Hancock caught the male and equipped it with a GPS-tracking device 乌鸦传媒� appear to be doing just fine.

乌鸦传媒淲hen they came back after their migration, they went straight to (the new nest) and raised three young there, this year乌鸦传媒� I have not caught the female yet. It乌鸦传媒檚 my great wish to catch the female so we know where the pair goes. I tried and tried and I couldn乌鸦传媒檛 catch her, she乌鸦传媒檚 very suspicious.乌鸦传媒�

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 he乌鸦传媒檚 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.

乌鸦传媒淭he big thing is probably the fact that it乌鸦传媒檚 so competitive in the Lower Mainland, that if you don乌鸦传媒檛 get back and look after your nest, somebody else is going to claim it.乌鸦传媒�

Hancock said, 乌鸦传媒渋n the bird world,乌鸦传媒� 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.

乌鸦传媒淥ver my lifetime, even in the 30 years that I乌鸦传媒檝e lived here, I乌鸦传媒檝e just watched dozens and dozens and dozens of eagles nests just get chopped down,乌鸦传媒� Hancock said, adding that only recently has there been more enforcement on the illegal activity.

乌鸦传媒淥nly since the NDP took power that we乌鸦传媒檝e saved a single eagle nest,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭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.乌鸦传媒�