- Florida, USA -
The Animal Legal Defense Fund, the nation’s preeminent animal law advocacy organization, is offering a $5,000 reward in exchange for information leading to a criminal conviction of those responsible for cruelly stabbing and killing an innocent dolphin off the Florida Gulf Coast.
On March 24, 2022, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and marine mammal experts received a report of a dead bottlenose dolphin. The female dolphin was found lifeless on a Fort Myers beach.
NOAA said that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, recovered the dolphin.
A necropsy revealed the mammal to be a lactating mother, “likely still caring for her young calf”, stated a release by The Animal Legal Defense Fund.
The mama dolphin had a wound above her right eye believed to have been inflicted with a spear-like object while she was still alive.
The dolphin appeared to have died from the trauma, which occurred at or near the time of death.
According to a press release by The Animal Legal Defense Fund, biologists believe , based on the necropsy results, the mama dolphin was “killed while begging — with her head above water and her mouth open.”
As NOAA explained in their press release, “Begging is not a natural behavior for dolphins and is frequently associated with illegal feeding. People can help prevent future harm to wild dolphins by not feeding or attempting to feed them. Dolphins fed by people learn to associate people, boats, and fishing gear with food, which puts dolphins and people in harmful situations.”
Animal Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Stephen Wells said: “Animal victims deserve justice. This dolphin’s death was intentional — and the individual(s) responsible must be held accountable. Animal cruelty is a serious crime, and it is critical for individuals with information to report it to authorities. We commend the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for its diligence in investigating this crime.”
If you have information related to this murder, please contact the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement Hotline at 1(800) 853-1964.
Please include your name and contact information when calling enforcement if you would like to be considered eligible for the reward. Tips may also be left anonymously. Thank you!
Under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, it is prohibited to harass, harm, feed, or kill a wild dolphin. The maximum penalty is a $100,000 fine and only a year’s imprisonment.
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