The defaced manatee was found Sunday in the Homosassa River north of Tampa, the Citrus County Chronicle reported. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the incident.
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the perpetrators apparently scratched the word “Trump” into algae on the creature’s back.
“Manatees aren’t billboards, and people shouldn’t be messing with these sensitive and imperiled animals for any reason,” said Jaclyn Lopez, the Florida director at the center. “However this political graffiti was put on this manatee, it’s a crime to interfere with these creatures, which are protected under multiple federal laws.”
Federal authorities are investigating after a manatee with the word “Trump” etched onto its back was found in Florida. The discovery was made Sunday in the.
Published January 12, 2021
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Wildlife authorities in Florida have begun an investigation into a manatee who had appeared in local waters, after it was discovered that the animal has ‘Trump’ etched into its back.
As per The New York Times, the manatee was sighted in the Homosassa River on Florida’s Gulf Coast, and footage and photos taken of the creature show that someone has notched ‘TRUMP’ into its skin.
Fact Check: Was TRUMP Carved Into a Manatee in Florida?
On 1/12/21 at 2:59 PM EST
An image of a manatee in North Florida s Homosassa River has set off a wave of shock throughout Twitter. It shows a manatee, or sea cow, with the word TRUMP on its back.
Manatees are considered a threatened species with an estimated population of 13,000, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Though photos and videos have been shared across social media, there has been debate over whether the perpetrators carved TRUMP into the manatee s skin or wrote the word in algae on the animal s back.