Cameron Parish, Louisiana – A shocking discovery was made on West Mae’s Beach in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, where a young bottlenose dolphin was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds. The incident has prompted investigators to offer a reward of up to $20,000 for any information that can lead to solving the case.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries department has been actively involved in conducting a necropsy, or animal autopsy, on the deceased dolphin at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans. The examination revealed that the dolphin had multiple bullets lodged in its brain, spinal cord, and heart, indicating that the trauma occurred at or near the time of death.
The NOAA’s law enforcement division is now working to uncover the circumstances surrounding the dolphin’s death and potentially pursue a criminal conviction under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The act not only provides for a substantial fine but also a possible prison sentence of up to one year for those responsible for harming protected species like bottlenose dolphins.
Bottlenose dolphins are classified as protected species, making it illegal to feed or harass them in their natural habitat. While the NOAA lists threats like vessel strikes and toxins in the water as dangers to dolphins, shootings are not commonly mentioned in such incidents.
This alarming case in Louisiana is not the first of its kind, as similar incidents involving deliberate harm to dolphins have been reported in other states like Florida and Texas in recent years. Such acts of violence against marine mammals raise concerns about the need for stricter enforcement of laws protecting these vulnerable creatures.
Anyone with information related to the dolphin shooting in Louisiana is urged to contact the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964. The search for justice for the slain dolphin continues as authorities work diligently to bring those responsible to account for their actions.