Cedar City » The Humane Society of the United States along with its affiliate the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust is offering a $2,500 reward for the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for using pliers to remove about a dozen tail feathers from a golden eagle in southern Utah.

The eagle is being cared for by the Southwest Wildlife Foundation and it is not known if it will be able to regrow the feathers and be returned to the wild.

The bird was taken to the foundation's raptor rehabilitator Martin Tyner by the Division of Wildlife Resources on Sunday after being found on U.S. Highway 50 near Salina in Sevier County, where it had been struck by a vehicle.

Elisa Traub, a spokeswoman with the Humane Society based in Washington, D.C., called the torture crime "heinous," and said the organization hopes the reward will be an incentive for someone with information on the crime to come forward.

Anyone with information or seeking the reward is asked to call the DWR poaching hot lineat 800-662- DEER (3337).

Traub said the Humane Society last year paid out three rewards in poaching cases totaling $7,500.

The Division of Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating the crime.