Manatee found with ‘Trump’ carved on back prompts abuse investigation
- The injured animal was found in a river in Florida, and the manner in which the letters were engraved was not immediately clear
- A non-profit group has offered a US$5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction for the ‘cruel and illegal mutilation’
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has opened an investigation into the harassment of a manatee which was found in a Florida river with the word “Trump” scraped into its back, a local newspaper reported on Monday.
The injured manatee was found on Sunday in the headwaters of the Homosassa River on the state’s west coast, about 100 miles (160km) west of Orlando, the Citrus County Chronicle reported.
A spokeswoman for the US Fish and Wildlife Service did not immediately return a request for comment.
The Chronicle published a video showing an underwater view of the slow-moving mammal, with the word “Trump” etched in big letters into its back. The manner in which the letters were engraved was not immediately clear.
The Tucson, Arizona-based Centre for Biological Diversity on Monday said it was offering a US$5,000 reward for information “leading to a conviction for the cruel and illegal mutilation”.