State and federal wildlife authorities are investigating after an endangered manatee was found in a Florida river with President Donald Trump’s last name scrawled on its back, according to reports.
The defaced animal did not appear to be mutilated as the large letters were only smudged into the algae on the mammal and not carved into its skin, officials said.
Because manatees are a protected endangered species, however, harassing one in this manner is a federal crime punishable by a $50,000 fine and up to one year in prison.
Officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are on the case, but so far haven’t named any suspects for the crime, which was discovered over the weekend in the Homosassa River in Citrus County, about 80 miles north of Tampa, reports said.
Manatees, also known as sea cows, are gentle and slow-moving creatures that feed on vegetation in warm tropical waters. Law requires recreational boaters to slow down in their habitats because propellers have been largely responsible for countless injuries and deaths.
Nearly 620 died in Florida waterways in 2020, according to The Associated Press, citing state figures. At least 90 of those deaths were attributed to collisions with boats.
“West Indian manatees are essential members of the ecosystems in which they inhabit and are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act,” USFWS Director Aurelia Skipwith said in a statement.
Wildlife authorities are asking for the public’s help to solve the case. Tips can be reported at 888-404-3922.
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.
Many voices expressed outrage on social media, however, they also mistakenly believed the animal had been viciously wounded.
Information provided by The Associated Press was used to supplement this report.
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