Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - After hearing complaints of a dead bird hanging from a tree, local police and an officer of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources responded Friday to a residence adjacent to the Winona Lake Park.
A blue heron carcass was found tied to a tree branch at a residence along Park Avenue. While the situation looked bad, no suspicious activity was involved, Town Marshal Paul Schmitt said.
After the investigation, Schmitt said the bird had not been killed by residents and had been found dead on the property and hung up to prevent other animals from eating it.
The cause of the animal's death has not yet been determined. Over the last 10 months, a handful of blue herons have been found dead around Winona Lake.
Schmitt said the DNR officer did not believe the bird died from Avian Flu because herons are not highly susceptible to the disease.
The bird was removed from the tree by the town's street department later Friday after numerous residents complained of seeing it.
