The Eastern Shore is home to the majestic bald eagle, but the eagles are turning up dead in alarming numbers.
The Department of Natural Resources says almost a dozen have been found dead in fields, specifically in the Eastern Shore-Delmarva area. Officials think the illegal pesticide carbofuran is to blame.
RELATED: Police investigating suspicious poisoning deaths of animals in Eastern Shore area
Troy Whaley manages a farm in Easton, and about five miles from his property, he found three bald eagles in a field next to a dead fox.
"I was basically horrified. It was pretty evident coming up on the scene that it was some kind of acute poisoning," said Whaley.
Carbofuran was banned in the 1990's. Farmers would use it to bait and kill nuisance animals like foxes and raccoons. Natural Resources officials believe someone used the deadly substance on a farm and the eagles ingested it from the dead animal.
Whaley thinks the people who put out these chemicals understands the ramifications from using carbofuran.
"It just really upset me, you know, but people get upset about the flag, about disrespecting our flag, this is a living symbol of our country, to do something so stupid that will kill one of these animals is beyond me," said Whaley.
Governor Hogan is stepping up the concern about the problem. The governor has two agencies looking into this, the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture. They are urging anyone with this deadly chemical to have it disposed of properly.
