Dolphin Found Shot Dead on La. Beach, Authorities Offer $20K Reward for Information Leading to Conviction
By: By Charna Flam, People Magazine
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Dolphin Found Shot Dead on La. Beach, Authorities Offer $20K Reward for Information Leading to Conviction
The deceased dolphin was discovered on March 13 on Mae's Beach in Cameron Parish, La.
dolphin. PHOTO: GETTY
Federal officials are investigating who was responsible for fatally shooting a dolphin that was discovered washed up ashore on a Louisiana beach.
Authorities are offering a reward of $20,000 for anyone who has information about the criminal offense.
On March 13, a member of the public reported to the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline that the dolphin’s body washed up on Mae's Beach in Cameron Parish, La.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) stranding network partner, Audubon Aquarium Rescue, “recovered the animal and transported it to the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans for a necropsy [an animal autopsy],” per an NOAA Fisheries Service announcement .
On Tuesday, April 24, the NOAA Fisheries Service announced that the mammal “appeared to have died from the trauma, which occurred at or near the time of death.”
The organization shared that the necropsy discovered multiple bullets lodged in the brain, spinal cord and heart.
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Dolphin fatally shot. PHOTO AUDUBON AQUARIUM RESCUE/FACEBOOK
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the death and has asked for help from the public. The $20,000 reward will be given if the public can provide any information that would lead to a criminal conviction or the assessment of a civil penalty.
The perpetrator who shot the animal violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act — which makes it a crime to hunt, harass, capture, kill, or attempt to do so, to any marine mammal.
Marine Mammal Protection violators can be prosecuted civilly or criminally, and their crimes can be “punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and up to one year in jail per violation,” per the NOAA Fisheries Service announcement.
Those who discover any stranded or injured marine animals can report the incident to the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at (877) WHALE-HELP (877-942-5243).
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Cameron Parish, Louisiana. PHOTO NOAA FISHERIES
Anyone with information about this incident should call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964. Those who leave tips anonymously will not be eligible for the reward.
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I didn't want to continue posting on this group because I came to the realization that for it to be realistic I would have had to spend most of my time on it every day when I have many other interests to deal with. However this story caught my eye. It is hard to understand how unbelievably cruel a supposedly civilized person can be when it is so legal and so acceptable for them to be able to play with their favourite toys, no matter how grown up they might be.
There are many sick fcks out there and around this country that are quite capable of this senseless act, but, my first thought was, remember in the movie Jaws, old chief Brody plain old opened up attempting to fill the menacing shark with lead. I just wondered if someone thought it was a shark and shot at the dorsal fin, but after seeing the picture of the deceased mammal, it doesn't look very menacing.
Even sharks are an endangered species.
With man in the picture, everything is endangered
I'll buy that.
A sad commentary on some humans.
Unfortunately not just "some", Kavika.