Wildlife officials in Virginia say they had no choice but to euthanize an American bald eagle that was suffering with a gunshot wound to the wing.

"It was a very sad Christmas Eve," Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke wrote on its Facebook page on Tuesday. "This bird, even in a true miracle scenario, would never be able to live a painless and stress-free life. It was an inhumane act that led this beautiful bird to suffer for over a week out in the elements with no hope of recovery."

Wildlife officials initially rescued the female eagle and brought her to the facility to receive treatment. She had been surviving with the untreated horrific wound by eating deer carcasses, the agency said.

An X-ray confirmed the eagle’s wing was severely injured by the bullet. 

“Our worst fears gave way to horror when we realized that this bird had been shot. Sadly, due to the severity of the injury, there was nothing that could be done,” the post reads. "Images of this eagle's wing are too horrific to be shared on social media."

Virginia wildlife hospital wants justice for bald eagle 

The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke shared news of the tragedy with hopes of finding the person who “shot her and get them to face justice,” according to the post, which included the exact location where the eagle was found.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources online, by phone at 800-237-5712 or via email at [email protected]. 

The center also wants the public to reflect on “how fragile our natural resources are,” reminding everyone that bald eagles were still considered an endangered species 30 years ago. 

“And this is how we treat them? Our national symbol, that we worked tirelessly to save for future generations?" the post says. "We can do better than this. We SHOULD do better than this. If we don't, who will?”

Consequences for messing with an eagle are hefty

There are a couple criminal penalties for anyone who chooses to “take, possess, sell, purchase, barter, offer to sell, purchase or barter, transport, export or import, at any time or any manner, any bald or golden eagle whether its alive or dead," according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, established in 1940, was created with the intention of protecting these majestic creatures, including their feathers, nests and eggs. 

Taking a bald eagle or golden eagle here means to “pursue, shoot, shoot at, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, molest or disturb,” the U.S. Forest Service writes on their website. 

The act also explicitly states that intentional human interference “around a previously used nest site during a time when eagles are not present” that severely disrupts the animal in any way is covered by the definition above. 

Take a look at the possible consequences below:

• A $100,000 fine ($200,000 for organizations) 
• Year-long prison sentence 

Penalties will increase for additional offenses, but a second violation is considered a felony, according to the the wildlife service.