A dolphin was found shot to death on a Louisiana beach last month — and now the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] is offering $20,000 for information on who was responsible for the sick act.
The juvenile bottlenose dolphin was discovered on West Mae’s Beach in Cameron Parish, Louisiana on March 14.
NOAA’s stranding network partner, Audubon Aquarium Rescue, recovered the dolphin and transported it to the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans for a necropsy, which revealed “multiple bullets lodged in the dolphin’s brain, spinal cord, and heart,” the agency said.
Officials determined the dolphin died from trauma, which occurred at or near the time of death.
The agency’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the dolphin’s death and is offering the reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the cruel killer or a civil penalty.
Harassing, harming, killing, or feeding wild dolphins is outlawed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Violators face fines up to $100,000 and up to a jail in prison.
