Woman looking at $500 fine and jail time because 11 year old daughter saved a woodpecker

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."

"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"

.wusa9.com...

This is your government at work and an example of one of the critical functions that exist that we can ill afford to cut or reform.

Not withstanding that the girl should have been commended for her actions, it likely cost more than $500 to get the paperwork drawn up, coordinate with Fish and Wildlife and visit this home to harrass the woman and her daughter.

If the government had no real impact on the lives of others, their incompetence, false priorities and idiocy would be comical. Unfortunately the government does have real impact on the lives of others and thus this stuff, while at first blush this is humorous, but it is not funny. We see about 1/1000th of the events like this that occur in the country.

Ultimately the folks who responded with such an innappropriate response, like the folks who shut down lemonade stands should be summarily dismissed for misuse of public funds and made fools in the media.

It would seem that a requirement for being employed by some of these enforcement arms of the government is to have absolutely no judgement or common sense.

Its a good thing the woman did not attempt to video tape the official from Fish & Game. Then she really would be jammed up.

Teach your kids that if they see an unusual plant or animal of any sort the best they can do is kill it and bury it.

Any attempt to do "the right thing" will result in fines and even property confiscation or imprisonment.

Farmers have known this for decades. Now it's the suburbs turn.

Just kill it, bury it and never tell a soul you ever saw it.

Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time! This story is so ridiculous. It's bittersweet though. Now the little girl at a young age learns and sees exactly how our government works. that little girl can grow up someday and become someone important and change things from just this one experience! something good always rises from the ashes~

reply to post by dolphinfan


This is ridiculous and a clear example of over kill by fish and wildlife agencies.
I am sure any local judge and court of law will see it this way as well.
The mom should send the story to her local newspaper and get community reaction prior to the court case.
A well written letter to the judge in advance explaining the ludicrousness of the case considering her 11 year old daughter and what kind of a message will this send to the child only trying to show compassion for an injured creature. Realize ignorance is no excuse to break a law and plead no contest with an explanation.

Guarantee she will walk with a warning and no fine.
No judge wants this type publicity.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

Teach your kids that if they see an unusual plant or animal of any sort the best they can do is kill it and bury it.

What ever happened to.... JUST WALK AWAY AND LEAVE THE THING ALONE!

Is kill it or take it really the only choice you see here?
What planet am I on again and who are these "people" around me?

No child gets rights.

The police were right here. What do you expect next?

Next what ? Giiving a dog water? My god what criminals.

Death penalty, for all kindness. you heartless people.

Originally posted by newcovenant

What ever happened to.... JUST WALK AWAY AND LEAVE THE THING ALONE!

The government took that option away quite sometime ago.

If it's on your property you cant just leave it alone. Sooner or later it'll be found and the state will take your land.

reply to post by dolphinfan


If the game warden's "badge" couldn't let her turn a blind eye to the situation, she should have thanked the girl for her concern, taken custody of the bird, and transported it to a rehab facility for wild animals where it would be well-tended until it could be released. If I were the family, I would do a little search on the whereabouts of such facilities and read the game wardens' handbook. There have go to be any number of loopholes in order to get off from that one, such as 1) what is the warden's responsibility towards stranded animals? 2) If certified facilities exist (and you know they do), why didn't the warden direct them to such a place or take custody of the bird?

Don't let your kids bring protected species home as a pet. They claim they were going to let it go after a few days. That would indicate that it was old enough to fly. Should have brought the cat inside and left the bird alone.

This is freaking stupid.

No wonder all of the religious people think Satan makes all the laws.

I am not even religious and I don't think Satan exists, but stuff like this makes me take a second look at the whole thing and consider "Maybe Satan does exist?".

Nah I am just a wishful thinker. I wish it was explainable as "Satan made them do it".

But in reality I know the cold hard truth.
Humans are just retarded.

In some countries if you take an injuried native animal to a vet they have to treat it for free.

I've taken numerous injuried bird to the vet, but everytime they just kill it, even when the animal could be saved. (baby birds fallen from the nest)

They usually don't treat it until last because they are not making money on these animals.

Lots of vets are not the animals lovers we think they would be.

That tends to be the result of Political correctness - it breeds and promotes mindless uncaring 'pods' who are scared stiff of using any discretion or common sense.

Oh my! That bird is a protected species, what gave that little girl the idea that she could save it?

Seriously, sounds like the F&W woman is on a power trip energized by a chip on her shoulder the size of Texas. Picked on in high school? Passed over by Mall Security during the last round of hiring? Better go mess with an 11 year old for saving a protected species.

Hey, look at it this way, here's an entire family, awoken to the truth about the principals their government operates under. An 11 year old get's a rather harsh lesson on politics, and how declaring a species "protected", or "endangered", has very little to do with rendering aid to that species, let alone any "protecting". I bet by the time she's 12, she's telling her classmates that 911 was an inside job...

These Federal laws were NOT created to go chasing little kids holding a bird. This is an abuse of the law, a perversion of justice.

These laws were created originally with the intent to prevent large corporations from destroying vast swaths of wildlife for profit, and to hold them in check. They were created to put a clamp down on black market traffickers and to have a way to prosecute a psycho animal murderers (Think Jeffery Dahmer).

But instead look at what these sick mindless idiots we have in government are using it for!

To attack a child who SAVED a freaking bird in her dad's backyard. And to prosecute her mother for it!

It's so freaking disgusting. Because the corporations NEVER get stopped from their destruction of wildlife! In fact a huge gas company is dumping over 100 different Hydraulic Fracturing waste materials not 2miles from me right now. They will be dumping many thousands of tons over the next few months, that's why I'm moving away.

Because the Corporations can do ANYTHING they want and destroy anyone's personal property they want!
But if you or I lowly citizens DARE to touch even so much as an animal in our backyards we are now considered felons!!

Sounds like a good old fashioned power trip to me. Anyone who displays an inability to keep their egos in check should be removed from public service.

Are you sure it wasnt a TSA badge and she misttook the bird for a plane?

Originally posted by JennaDarling


Are you sure it wasnt a TSA badge and she misttook the bird for a plane?

If the government doesn't get off our (almonds, cashews, or pecans), it will become inevitable that many distraught citizens will begin mistaking government agents as bulls-eyes.

I won't, I will just try to take cover and bunker down, but I am telling you I see it coming like a train wreck in slow motion. Push will come to shove, the pendulum will swing back.

Of course, like a lot of the news, we only get one side of the story. Perhaps they stopped at Lowe's to get a cage and the warden overheard the woman/girl talk about keeping it as a pet and were rude to the warden when confronted about caging a wild animal. The media always makes the officials (police, teachers, judges, etc.) out to be the bad guys. They get more ratings when the stories are sensationalized, and they know the officials can't talk about cases. If the girl was really interested in being a vet, she would know to keep her cat inside and to leave the bird alone.

reply to post by mjfromga


Does Lowe's sell bird cages?

www.lowes.com...

Maybe they just needed some chicken wire to make a pit for their underground crippled protected species fighting venue?

I hear 11 year old girls are really into that sort of thing these days. Something to do with Hannah Montana.