An Ankeny man is facing charges for allegedly shooting and killing several trumpeter swans. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources tells WHO-TV 13 one of its conservation officers saw Loai Abdulal shoot a swan on Friday at Paul Errington Marsh.
That came after a hunter gave authorities a tip about what was happening. Abdulal is charged with six counts of illegal taking of a non-protected game and each swan could cost him 15-hundred-dollars.
When confronted by a DNR officer, Abdulal reportedly stated that he thought the swans were geese.
“Sadly, this isn’t uncommon lately, we’ve seen this happening more frequently so it’s very important that all hunters identify their target before pulling the trigger,” DNR Conservation Officer Dustin Eighmy told WHO-TV 13. “We’re very thankful that a hunter knew to call to alert us of this poaching incident in a very timely manner.”
Officers also seized the shotgun used in the incident.
(Photo: WHO-TV 13)