Last week, fishermen on a beach in West Mae, in the state of Louisiana, in the United States, found a dolphin in the sand with an unusual mark.
They called the authorities, who found that the animal had been shot in several parts of its body, including in the heartand died in the sand.
Now, the United States Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOOA) is behind the perpetrator. Therefore, NOOA announced a reward of US$20,000 (about R$103,000) for anyone who finds him.
“NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the death and we are asking the public for any information about who may have been involved. We are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads to a criminal conviction or the assessment of a civil penalty.” , NOOA said in a statement.
The bottlenose dolphin was taken to a local aquarium, which performed a necropsy on the body and found that the animal was young and died as a result of the gunshots.
The examination, according to NOOA, also revealed that the dolphin had bullets lodged in its carcass, brain, spinal cord and even its heart.
The agency also stated that the perpetrator of the crime could face up to a year in prison and have to pay up to US$100,000 (around R$503,000) in fines.
Dolphins are spotted in Guanabara Bay
Tags: finding dolphin shot beach agency offers reward perpetrator World
