Bald eagle euthanized after being shot in Texas

"Nothing surprises me anymore," Sheriff Brian Hawthorne told KHOU.  "I can't fathom why someone would want to shoot a bald eagle."

Investigators said Tuesday a $2,000 reward is being offered for information about the shooter, KTRK reported.

The Chambers County Sheriff's Office said the bald eagle was shot in the Anahuac area and was badly injured.

A landowner found the injured bird in a pasture Monday morning and called the sheriff's office.  A game warden took it to the Wildlife Center of Texas in Houston, where it had to be euthanized.

"It was in pretty bad condition," Wildlife Center Executive Director Sharon Schmalz told KHOU.  "The beak was almost totally severed and it was blind in one eye."

Deputies said injuring an eagle is a federal crime, punishable by up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.