‘Senseless killing’: Trumpeter swan found dead in Idaho river, officials say

BENNINGTON, Idaho — Wildlife officials in Idaho are investigating after a trumpeter swan was found dead floating in a river.

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According to a news release on Thursday, Idaho Fish and Game said the bird was spotted on April 1 in the Bear River near Bennington. Multiple rifle casings were found at a bridge spanning the river near the location where officials found the swan, East Idaho News reported.

Wildlife officials said the bird was likely killed in the morning or early afternoon on April 1, according to the newspaper.

“It is a senseless killing, and not the first animal to be shot, killed, and left to waste recently in this part of the region,” Kolby White, a senior conservation officer, said in a statement. “From a bald eagle shot in Bern last fall, to a mule deer in the Oneida Narrows last month, to this trumpeter swan -- there have been several animals shot without reason and left to waste.”

White said it was unclear whether the swan’s death was related to the other killings, the Idaho State Journal reported.

“I am asking the public to report anything that seems out of place, even if it is not directly tied to one of these cases,” White said in a statement. “It just might help.”