State game officials say a bald eagle found dead at the base of a popular eagle nest in eastern Pennsylvania was killed by drugs used to euthanize animals.
Lancaster News reports that the Pennsylvania Game Commission believes the eagle fed on the carcass of an animal that had been euthanized and then improperly left in the open.
John Wagner, wildlife management supervisor for the commission's southeast region, said genetic tests are being done to determine the species of the euthanized animal.
An amateur photographer spotted the eagle's carcass in Paradise Township in mid-March and alerted the game commission.
The mature male wasn't part of the pair that made the active nest.
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Officials say there are currently more than 250 active eagle nests in Pennsylvania.
