ENDANGERED SPECIES


A man sitting at a make-shift campfire was approached by a forest ranger. To the ranger's horror, the man was eating a Bald Eagle. The ranger immediately arrested and jailed the man. At his trial, the questioning went something like this:

JUDGE:          "Do you know that eating a Bald Eagle is a Federal offense?"

MAN:           "Yes I do, but if you will let me argue my case, I can explain what happened."

JUDGE:           "Proceed."

MAN:           "I got lost in the woods. I hadn't had anything to eat for two weeks. I was so hungry. Next thing I know a Bald Eagle is swooping down at the lake for some fish. I knew that if I followed the Eagle I could maybe steal the fish. I caught up with the Eagle who alighted upon a tree stump to eat the fish. I threw a stone toward the eagle hoping he would drop the fish and fly away. Unfortunately, in my weakened condition, my aim was off and the rock hit the Eagle squarely on his poor little head and killed him. I thought long and hard about what had happened but figured that since I killed it I might as well eat it since as it would be disrespectful to let it rot on the ground."

JUDGE:           "The court will recess while we consider your testimony." Fifteen minutes went by, and the judge returned.

JUDGE:          "Due to the extreme circumstance you were under and because you didn't intend to kill the eagle, the court will dismiss the charges."


The Judge then leaned over the bench and whispered, "If you don't mind my asking, what does a Bald Eagle taste like?" The man replied, "Well your honor, it is hard to explain. The best way I can describe it is to say that it falls somewhere between a California Condor and a Spotted Owl."