Marvel star Dave Bautista is offering a $ 20,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the person who shaved “TRUMP” on the back of a Florida manatee.
The “Guardians of the Galaxy” actor responded to a tweet from a person who was shocked by the act. Bautista wrote, “If there is still no reward for the arrest and conviction of the scoundrels and scorners MAGATs who did this, I will put in $ 20,000.”
Bautista added: “And I promise there will be bonuses on that prize!”
The former WWE star’s tweet was liked 2,000 times.
MANATEE WITH SCRAPED ‘TRUMP’ ON ITS SPARKS BACK ATTACK OF WILD ANIMAL SPECIALISTS
In addition to Bautista’s social media offering, the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit group that protects endangered animals, is offering a $ 5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the case.
‘FEDS INVESTIGATING WHO DELETED’ TRUMP ‘AT MANATEE IN FLORIDA
Last weekend, shocking images of the disfigured manatee swimming in Homosassa Springs, Florida, went viral, sparking a federal investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which appealed to the public for information about the incident.
“TRUMP” was scraped off a layer of algae on the manatee’s back and the slow animal did not appear to be seriously injured, officials said.
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Florida-based nonprofit wildlife group Save the Manatee Club says manatees are protected by the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
“Save the Manatee Club was immediately informed of the situation and is shocked by this disrespectful and damaging act against an endangered species,” the group said in a statement on Tuesday.
The organization said whoever did the scraping may have caused the manatee pain.
“Based on the photos and videos available, it appears that the perpetrator may have scratched the manatee’s skin with his fingers, scraping the algae that grow on slow mammals,” explained the Save the Manatee Club. “They may have shaved the top layer of the manatee’s skin as well. The manatees have a tough but sensitive skin, covered with tiny sensory hair, so it is possible that this action may have caused the manatee discomfort or pain. . “
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Harassing a manatee, a federal crime, is punishable by a $ 50,000 fine and up to one year in prison.
James Rogers and Bradford Betz of Fox News contributed to this report, as did The Associated Press.