Wildlife agency reveals plan to kill 450,000 owls to safeguard another species

A wildlife technician checks a culled barred owl (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

To save the endangered spotted owl from potential extinction, US wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan to deploy trained shooters into to kill almost a half-million barred owls that are crowding out their smaller cousins.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service strategy released on Wednesday is meant to prop up declining spotted owl populations in Oregon, Washington state and California. The Associated Press obtained details in advance.