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Manatee (Photo: IANS)
San Francisco– The US Fish and Wildlife Service has spotted a manatee with Trump itched into its back in the headwaters of Floridas Homosassa river a bizarre way to protest against the outgoing US president.
Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. They move slowly, which has made them vulnerable to fishing nets, motorboat engines and human interaction.
According to a report in Citrus County Chronicle on Tuesday, the animal was reported to federal authorities over the weekend, when it was discovered with the words “Trump” scrapped in its back.
Florida: TRUMP written on the skin of a manatee.
Teile:
TRUMP lettering on manatee s back. Authorities in Florida are searching for an unknown person who carved the surname of the outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump into the skin of a manatee. The person responsible faces a fine of about $50,000, investigator Craig Cavanna said, according to the local newspaper, the Citrus County Chronicle.
Gallery 4 here
The marine mammal was spotted Sunday in the Homosassa River in Florida. However, the animal was not seriously injured, according to initial reports: The letters were likely scratched on algae that had grown on the marine mammal s skin. Fortunately, the skin does not appear to have been deeply damaged, said an official with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the agency investigating the incident.
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Craig Cavanna, senior federal wildlife officer and current investigating officer, told
The Chronicle Online that the harassment of a manatee, protected by the Endangered Species Act, is a Class A federal criminal offense punishable by a $50,000 fine and/or one year in federal prison.
Manatees, who are slow-moving and warm-blooded, tend to seek sanctuary in the spring-fed waters along Citrus County s coastline making them accessible to swimmers and boaters, according to
The Chronicle Online It s been my experience that this is very out of character for this community, Cavanna told the outlet of the incident. Wildlife conservation is a core value in Citrus County. That s why it s called the Nature Coast.
Trump manatee harassment sparks cries of animal abuse after mammal found with president's name scraped into back thesun.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thesun.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.