Federal Fish and Wildlife agents are a bizarre case of animal abuse after a manatee with the word “Trump” etched onto its back was found in Florida.
The discovery was made Sunday in the Homosassa River north of Tampa, the Citrus County Chronicle reported. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the incident, the paper reported.
Manatees are protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act and are federally protected by both the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. Harassing a manatee can carry a penalty of a $50,000 fine and/or up to one year in federal prison.
The species had been endangered but was reclassified to a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act in May 2017.
This abhorrent action goes beyond the bounds of what is considered cruel and inhumane,” Elizabeth Fleming, a senior Florida representative at Defenders of Wildlife, said in a statement. “I’m disgusted that someone would harm a defenseless creature to send what I can only assume is a political message. We will do everything in our power to help find, arrest, and successfully prosecute this coward.”
The Center for Biological Diversity has announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the investigation.
“It’s heartbreaking that this manatee was subjected to this vile, criminal act,” Jaclyn Lopez, the center’s Florida director, said in a statement. “It’s clear that whoever harmed this defenseless, gentle giant is capable of doing grave violence and needs to be apprehended immediately.”
If the perpetrator was trying to make some kind of political statement, one could only guess what that could be. While left-wing media has been quick to apply blame to the “same kind of people who would sack the Capitol,” this heinous act was more likely conducted by a cowardly left-wing snowflake who is trying to equate the president to a slow-moving, fat, and bloated sea mammal.
What do you think was the motive behind this abuse of the manatee? Please reply using the comments below.
get your facts straight morons, before you post these articles, the word was just seaweed ; on his back, you people should just be cleaning toilets at a local fast food place
We are all for Trump…but DON”T HURT OR DAMAGE ANY ANIMALS!
It was painted I live in Florida and saw our news about it! This is just another example of how disgusting the news has become
This act was another illiterate cult follower of trump these people have no sense of decency they are just like trump as November 6 shows you. Corrupt. Lawless with no morals. Shameful
You are so thick and stupid you must have shit for brains see how you like biden when you find out he has sold you out to the Chinese and when you have no rights or freedom.
I am a staunch supporter of pres trump and I am a Christian and I am not a moron and neither is my family but I agree no body should hurt an animal no matter what if it is true since I heard different stories about it I would say a Democrat did it as they are known for their violence and disregard of any laws I am a retired lawyer but I would love to be able to be able to prosecute who ever did it
This has the mo of the democrat follower who respects nothing. Their hatred for Trump & his supporters have closed their eyes, ears & hearts. They would victimize a beautiful sea creature so blame can go on Trump. Hope they are caught & prosecuted by a God fearing DA. May God bless Trump & followers.
That is so disgusting to a poor helpless beautiful animal. When the Person who did this terrible crime, he or she should be Tattooed with a manatee on their forehead with the word Trump so for the rest of their life they can be branded and all of society will know what a scumbag they are.
Com’on idiots how the hell would an act such as this do anything for or against President Trump! There are many legal ways to show your support or non support for President Trump. Be sure to confirm that this was in fact a carving, seaweed or painting before jumping to conclusions! In any event, leave our mammals out of our political preferences!!
Looks like who ever did this used a brillo pad are some sort of abrasive which probably didn’t hurt the Manatee. it’s still a dickhead move just leave God’s creatures alone you low life.
The scouring pad on algae removal with the word trump sounds plausible too bad we cant give all manatees a light scrub ,they might love the attention lol really, no manatees were harmed.
Nancy Martelly, do you say that, when you sit your fat ass down to eat a steak?
Cattle have been around for a very long time to put meat onthe table. Manatees have been too, but not to have Trump put on their side. Don’t make stupid comparisons, please.
You are a disgusting and rude two-legged creature.
I for one would like the truth of it. There is NO excuse for intentionally harming a beautiful sea creature that hurts no one. If it is merely scraped algae, then no problem. I would like to know the truth of it, before jumping to any conclusions.
I did it. I grabbed it and put a choke hold on the beast. It put its flippers up and I believe it was saying flippers up. It matters not, it couldn’t breathe but I continued to wrestle with him. Then I took out my sharp Bowie knife and began to carve TRUMP into its side. Then I took my sander and smoothed down the edges. Then I used special invisible ink that only wascaly Republicans can see and I wrote “fake news” on the side of the critter but in Russian so as to let everyone know the source. Come to think about it the Russian saurce get get you high. There you have it, a full confession of a crazed republican. I also tortured it using and electric eel.
And a rogue porpoise to help me shock the shit out of it. You know those dems believe anything except the truth
The dems believe what they seen on November 6 that wasn’t fake news or a hoax that was trump supporters trying to overthrow the government of the United States. Where were all your smart ass comments when insurrection was taking place at the capital on the verbal orders of trump impeachment is to good for this lawless and corrupt person
Geeze, how stupid can people be to believe that was an attempt to over throw the Gov’t. It was simply a protest antagonized by antifa and blm morons in with the crowd. Trust, if Republicans wanted to over throw the govt in that fashion, we could, and we would be successful. What could Democrats due to stop it? Gonna have the men click their heels and squeal like girls to try and stop us?
Do you people not see that this was spray painted on the Manatees back, Not CARVED into its skin…While being a stupid juvenile thing to do it will also soon wash off of the animal…Its apparently all ready faded a lot. Odd how the Government wants to fine someone $50,000 for being stupid and molesting an animal and they don’t do a damn thing about Antifa harassing or smacking the elderly as they try to cross a street. Chances are the Manatee wasn’t harmed at all but maybe scared a bit. Paint doesn’t stick very well on wet skin..
Was it Antifa that attacked the capital during the maga insurrection
I would have been a very gentle manatee that was used to people in any case it would not let someone carve on it, I was a free diver and have encountered them while spear fishing and a beautiful creature that can actually be quite fast if touched so some idiot scrubbed a name on him it’s sad but she was not harmed…I hope T2020
And I’m with Nancy a quick tattoo and a branding for the perpetrators that’s no way to support our greatest president ever and yes leave the fish and religion out of it. Trump wins but I fear a war is brewing hope I’m wrong but it is what it is and will be a different country, so sad. Cherish our land and sea! Leave the animals alone bitch
It was a juvenile move; I believe what a news radio program reported, that it was seaweed. These libtards will believe anything. Nevertheless, I love animals-the next time, use your brain and make your political statements like many other people do, graffiti on a building wall!
It looks painted so I believe the deb which is a person who actually lives in Florida and everyone’s right about the news they are all trump haters who loves to make him look bad in anyway they can I’m not for either I’m not a Democrat or a republican I’m for either anyways I keep getting interrupted by my 17 yr old son lol… I believe someone had found it dead and with this circus going on this “political circus” going on I’d have to say it was found dead unless otherwise unless there’s proof someone killed it they have ways to find out what happened to the animal just like people they can run tests I’m sure and you can’t trust the media to find out what really happened you have to be there to know the scientists know and if someone had killed it that is stupid and wrong to use a mammal to show their political side or to prove they are for the democrats it makes the president look bad, it makes Biden look kinda bad he has these crazy freaks supporting him? Damn that’s worse than the people who are for trump and there is some crazy people out there for trump just like when people stormed the capital wow I’m telling you if this keeps going on any further this may cause another war we don’t need or an apocalypse in some sense I hope whoever did this is reading these comments you whoever you are should be punished horribly if you really killed that mammal if you didn’t then your still mentally messed up and in dyer need of medical attention maybe a lobotomy.
Sorry I didn’t mean the deb I meant deb sorry