Final Ruling on the Loss of Scout

As many followers of the Columbus peregrine falcons know, last July we lost our nesting female, Scout. There were several news stories afterward. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the ODNR, Division of Wildlife investigated the matter. During the investigation, the individuals responsible for the death of Scout were identified and interviewed. The case was then presented to the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office. After reviewing all of the information and the circumstances that the individuals were faced with at the time of the incident, the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office decided to not file charges in this case.

We certainly regret the loss of Scout. In her time in Columbus she produced 8 young that successfully fledged and hopefully will survive to establish a territory of their own, elsewhere. The ODNR, Division of Wildlife continues to work to educate all aspects of the public about peregrine falcons. We hope that the positive result of this issue is more awareness of the presence of peregrine falcons in our urban areas and respect of how to properly interact with these powerful birds of prey.