Woodpecker-Saving Daughter Costs Mom $500, Possible Jail Time

[Analog]

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (WUSA) -- Eleven-year-old aspiring veterinarian, Skylar Capo, sprang into action the second she learned that a baby woodpecker in her Dad's backyard was about to be eaten by the family cat.
"I've just always loved animals," said Skylar Capo. "I couldn't stand to watch it be eaten."
Skylar couldn't find the woodpecker's mother, so she brought it to her own mother, Alison Capo, who agreed to take it home.
"She was just going to take care of it for a day or two, make sure it was safe and uninjured, and then she was going to let it go," said Capo.
But on the drive home, the Capo family stopped at a Lowes in Fredericksburg and they brought the bird inside because of the heat. That's when they were confronted by a fellow shopper who said she worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"She was really nervous. She was shaking. Then she pulled out a badge," said Capo.
The problem was that the woodpecker is a protected species under the Federal Migratory Bird Act. Therefore, it is illegal to take or transport a baby woodpecker. The Capo family says they had no idea.
"I was a little bit upset because I didn't want my mom to get in trouble," said Skylar.
So as soon as the Capo family returned home, they say they opened the cage, the bird flew away, and they reported it to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"They said that's great, that's exactly what we want to see," said Capo. "We thought that we had done everything that we could possibly do."
But roughly two weeks later, that same woman from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service showed up at Capo's front door. This time, Capo says the woman was accompanied by a state trooper. Capo refused to accept a citation, but was later mailed a notice to appear in U.S. District Court for unlawfully taking a migratory bird. She's also been slapped with a $535 fine.
"I feel harassed and I feel angry," said Capo.
"Kids should be able to save a baby bird and not end up going home crying because their mom has to pay $535. I just think that's crazy," said Skylar.
9NEWS NOW has tried repeatedly to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. So far, they have not returned any of our calls. If convicted, Capo could face up to a year behind bars.

 

[Lean L]

Lol that sucks. But honestly those birds are annoying. I've had one peck on the side of my house during the summer a year or two ago; it woke me up early in the morning. I seriously contemplated killing that thing until I looked it up and there turned out to be a $500 fine for such things.

 

[highland145]

That's one pecker she wishes she hadn't handled.


http://wusa9.com/news/article/161065/158/Woodpecker-Saving-Daughter-Costs-Mom-500

 

[spidey07]

LOL, environmental whakos. Where common sense is completely avoided. Kid and mom did the right thing. I guess the one lesson they learned here is it's better to let the animal die than help. Some lesson they taught the aspiring vet.

 

[lxskllr]

Fixing the deficit one fine at a time....

 

[Beev]

That's one pecker she wishes she hadn't handled.

At 11 she's probably had plenty of practice, too.

 

[SandEagle]

she shoulda flipped them the bird

 

[Vette73]

Problem is that is HER side of he story. For all we know the kid just grabbed the bird and wanted to keep it.

Thats like cops having to let people go because they "did not see the sign". Nobody ever lies so we just have to believe them.

Even then in this case give her a warning and move on. Some people get worked up to much.

 

[highland145]

At 11 she's probably had plenty of practice, too.

That's how it goes around you?🙁


kidding


The MOM, the MOM.

 

[highland145]

she shoulda flipped them the bird

😛

 

[darkswordsman17]

Hey, at least it didn't fly into their hair and nest there.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

There it's no need for the citation if the story if 100% true. She let the bird go!

Just another way for a piece of shit division to help with their payrol, Is to give tickets.

 

[soulcougher73]

Stories like this (if 100% true) enrage me at the stupidity this country has become.

 

[mugs]

Their story makes no sense. You find a "baby" woodpecker and you want to protect it, so you drive it some distance away to release it? Why transport it anywhere?

 

[Macamus Prime]

Don't publicize good/hard work. Keep it to yourself. I would have brought the bird home and then went shopping. Don't walk around with a wild animal in public.

Why does everyone want to show off??

 

[PokerGuy]

Why transport it anywhere?

... on the drive home ...

Whoever that Fish and Wildlife moron was is a good example of someone we do NOT need carrying a badge. That person should be fired immediately for lack of common sense.

At the very least, the person's name should be made public in as many places as possible so the entire community knows that she's an idiot.

 

[Aharami]

Their story makes no sense. You find a "baby" woodpecker and you want to protect it, so you drive it some distance away to release it? Why transport it anywhere?

I thought the same thing. The family is probably lying and initially wanted to keep the woodpecker as a pet

 

[PottedMeat]

Their story makes no sense. You find a "baby" woodpecker and you want to protect it, so you drive it some distance away to release it? Why transport it anywhere?

the way i read it - kid finds woodpecker at dad's place, kid wants to take care of it at mom's place

 

[foghorn67]

Problem is that is HER side of he story. For all we know the kid just grabbed the bird and wanted to keep it.

Thats like cops having to let people go because they "did not see the sign". Nobody ever lies so we just have to believe them.

Even then in this case give her a warning and move on. Some people get worked up to much.

wow, wtf? Do you defend every libtard dick move?

 

[zinfamous]

Fixing the deficit one fine at a time....

:thumbsup:

that girl and her mother should be proud that they are pulling their weight.

 

[mugs]

the way i read it - kid finds woodpecker at dad's place, kid wants to take care of it at mom's place

Take care of it how? Keep it as a pet? That's why they got a fine. You can't keep it as a pet.

They say the bird flew away when they got it home, so apparently it didn't need to be nursed back to health or anything like that. I just don't see why they didn't release it where they found it, where it presumably has a nest (and probably a mother if it's a "baby"). Birds can fly, cats can't.

To me their story makes it sound like they were going to keep the bird until they got caught. And that's based on their one-sided self-serving story.

 

[PottedMeat]

Take care of it how? Keep it as a pet? That's why they got a fine. You can't keep it as a pet.

They say the bird flew away when they got it home, so apparently it didn't need to be nursed back to health or anything like that. I just don't see why they didn't release it where they found it, where it presumably has a nest (and probably a mother if it's a "baby"). Birds can fly, cats can't.

To me their story makes it sound like they were going to keep the bird until they got caught. And that's based on their one-sided self-serving story.

i don't particularly care what they do with the bird, but it was really stupid to take it into a store because of the 'heat'.

 

[drebo]

Even if the story is not 100% true and the kid really did just want to take the bird, how is that worth a $500 fine and 1 year in jail?

That's just fucking stupid.

It's a bird. It probably would have died on its own. If the kid wanted to take care of it, so what?

 

[Texashiker]

Sounds like the lady that works for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a zealot.

What is wrong with people? The kid picked up a bird, and now the family is going to be fined? There is something seriously wrong with that.

Lets teach the kids early in life that doing a good deed will get you punished.

 

[silverpig]

i don't particularly care what they do with the bird, but it was really stupid to take it into a store because of the 'heat'.

So they should have left the bird in the car in the parking lot?

Left the kid standing alone outside in the parking lot with the bird while the mom shopped?