Wildlife officials are offering a reward for information about a shooting that left two baby golden eagles dead in their nest and a third injured after it escaped in Iron County west of Cedar City.

A photographer saw the nest last Thursday, noticed something wrong with the eaglets and called Martin Tyner, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who has been watching the nest for more than 20 years. Tyner rushed to the scene and found two of the 11-week-old eaglets dead.

After notifying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tyner returned to the area and found the third eaglet injured at the bottom of a 100-foot mining pit several hundred yards from the nest. Tyner is now caring for the eaglet to rehabilitate it.

Tyner, who specializes in raptors and has been working with golden eagles for 40 years, was outraged by the shootings.

"There is nobody on the planet that wants to get these guys more than I do," he said. "They have taken out two of my kids."

The eaglets, who Tyner said were about a week away from flying, were the first set of golden eagle triplets he has seen.

Bonnie Bell, a special agent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the shooting probably took place several days before the eaglets were found. The two dead eaglets, a male and female, received multiple wounds from being shot.

The surviving eaglet sustained minor injuries, and most of them probably occurred during its landing in the mining pit. Bell said that while she cannot give details about the eaglet's injuries because of the investigation, a preliminary examination did not indicate the eaglet had suffered any bullet wounds.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources have teamed up to investigate the shooting and are offering up to $3,500 for information about the crime that leads to an arrest and conviction. Bell also asked for information from anyone who had been photographing or viewing the nest during the week prior to the shooting.

The nest has become a popular site for nature watchers over the past two decades. Tyner said he would often visit with people observing the nest.

"It was an amazing attraction for southern Utah (and) the Cedar City area," he said. "I've had photographers contact me from all over the country about this particular nest."

Bell said investigators have received multiple calls about the shooting but are still looking for information from the public. She said the carcasses and other evidence will be examined by the service's forensics lab in Ashland, Ore.

"This was an intentional slaughter," she said.

Golden eagles are protected under the Bald Eagle Act of 1940. Killing them is a federal offense and could result in a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Anyone with information can call Bell at 435-865-0861 or Sergeant Brian Shearer of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources at 435-865-6100 or the Help Stop Poaching Hotline at 1-800-662-3337.

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E-mail: bcaballero@desnews.com