The sighting in Florida this week of a manatee with “Trump” engraved in capital letters on the back sparked an investigation and a call for help from a nonprofit conservation group.
The Center for Biological Diversity said it was offering a $ 5,000 reward for information that would lead to a conviction “for the cruel and illegal mutilation” of an endangered manatee in the Homosassa River in Citrus County, on the Florida Gulf Coast.
“It is heartbreaking that this manatee has been subjected to this vile criminal act,” said Jaclyn Lopez, director of the Florida center, on Monday.
“It is clear that whoever harmed this gentle and helpless giant is capable of serious violence and must be stopped immediately,” he added.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission began investigating after the manatee was discovered on Sunday with a scar in the president’s name, the center said. The discovery was reported by the Citrus County Chronicle.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service said the manatee did not appear to be seriously injured “because it looks like the word was written in algae on the animal’s back.”
Patrick Rose, the executive director of the non-profit Save the Manatee Club, said he saw the photos of the manatee on Monday morning and was disturbed.
“This is a type of harassment of an endangered species,” he said on Monday in Gainesville, Florida. He added that the manatee appeared to be a teenager.
His alarm was shared by other conservationists.
“This abominable action goes beyond the limits of what is considered cruel and inhuman,” said Elizabeth Fleming, Florida’s senior representative at Defenders of Wildlife. “I am disgusted that someone would harm a helpless creature to send what I can only assume is a political message. We will do everything in our power to help you find, arrest and successfully prosecute this coward. “
A beloved unofficial Florida mascot, the manatee is a large, slow-moving mammal species. There are about 6,300 manatees in Florida, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In colder climates, they tend to gather near the power plants of South Florida, where they heat up with the discharge of hot water.
They are protected by the federal government under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Manatees are also protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, which states that “it is illegal for anyone, at any time, whether intentionally or negligently, to harass, harass, harass or disturb any manatee ”.
Mr. Rose, of the Florida manatee advocacy group, said that engraving the president’s name on the manatee’s back “would be a form of harassment and would be illegal under state and federal laws.”
People who violate state law can face a fine of up to $ 500 and up to 60 days in prison. A federal conviction carries a fine of up to $ 50,000 and a year in prison, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.