EAST MARION, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – An Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO) helped a juvenile bald eagle out of a bind after it got injured in a Long Island fence last month and sent it on the road to recovery, officials said.
ECO Emilio Zullo, with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, responded to a report of a bald eagle in distress on Dec. 15.
The call came from the hamlet of East Marion and the town of Southold on Long Island.
Upon arrival, Zullo saw the eagle stuck in a fence: He suspected the bird injured itself and got tangled up in the fence while chasing prey, officials said.
Once out of the fence, the eagle was unable to fly.
Zullo contacted a licensed rehabilitator, and the bird is being treated until it is strong and healthy enough to be back in the wild, the DEP said.
The NYS DEC released this story from its Division of Law Enforcement on Thursday in a collection of highlights on how officers have been protecting state wildlife, with other stories that include ECOs busting illegal clamming and the illegal killing of geese.
"DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Investigators work hard each day to serve communities statewide, protect precious natural resources, and safeguard public health while ensuring those who break the State’s stringent Environmental Conservation Laws are held accountable," DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said.
There are 71 chapters of NYS DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement, and officers work to enforce the state’s Environmental Conservation Law, protect fish and wildlife and preserve environmental quality.
In 2022, ECOs and investigators responded to 25,600 calls and worked cases that resulted in 13,800 tickets or arrests for violations.