The remains of a mutilated adult bald eagle were discovered Saturday afternoon near Iona Island Regional Park. The carcass was stuffed into a clear plastic garbage bag with its beak and talons removed -- a sign it was killed by poachers.

Richard Singleton was out walking his Golden Retriever when he came across the bird.

"Obviously whoever did this is motivated by money or greed or something," Singleton said. "I mean, why would you kill an amazing animal like that for its parts?"

Singleton told a park ranger, and two other women called RCMP.

Richmond RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Pound says a pair of rubber gloves was also found nearby.

Pound says the body appears to have been at the location for quite some time judging by the decomposition and how torn the bag was.

Dozens of mutilated eagles were found on the Burrard Inlet First Nation Reserve in North Vancouver in 2005.

Wesley Francis and Tommy Shaw were convicted of poaching. During the investigation, a manager for the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said the parts were sold in Canada and the U.S., possibly within the First Nations community's powwow circuit.

In November, David Essary Bill of Brentwood Bay, B.C., was fined $10,000 after pleading guilty to unlawfully trafficking in bald eagle parts following a year-long Canada-wide investigation.

Conservation officials estimate up to 1,000 birds are killed illegally each year.

Black market for birds

Wildlife officers said that these killings are quite common because there is a large market for the feet and tail feathers of bald eagles.

The bird parts, which are used for ceremonial or artistic purposes, are sold on the black market for anywhere from $100 to $1,500 per part.

First Nations are issued permits to use parts of eagles that have died naturally for traditional ceremonies.

When dead birds are passed on to a native band, they are blessed to release their spirit, and prayers are said to apologize on behalf of man for their death.

B.C. is home to approximately 20,000 bald eagles, which are included in Canada's protected species list.

Under the B.C. Wildlife Act, trafficking in bald eagle parts can lead to a two-year jail sentence and a $250,000 fine.