Perpetrators Who Carved the Word ‘Trump’ on the Skin of a Living Manatee Are Wanted in Florida

Reports say that wildlife officials in Florida are investigating the carving of the word “Trump” on a defenseless manatee’s back. Although the animal is not endangered, the perpetrators could face serious charges.

According to the Citrus County Chronicle, a “cruel illegal mutilation” was discovered on Sunday in the Homosassa River in Citrus County, on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

As The New York Times wrote, the Center for Biological Diversity is offering a $5,000 reward for information that could help identify the manatee’s violators, and see them face a $50,000 fine and a one-year minimum sentence.

While the animal is not thought to have been seriously injured in the mutilation, a senior Florida representative at Defenders of Wildlife, Elizabeth Fleming, noted that “this action goes beyond the bounds of what is considered cruel and inhumane.”

Manatees, a herbivorous marine mammal, are Florida’s unofficial mascot, and are protected from disturbance and harassment by the Endangered Species Federal Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says.

Sourse: sputniknews.com