Officials are investigating after a Florida manatee was abused last weekend.
The Citrus County Chronicle reports that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently seeking information regarding a manatee that was discovered with “Trump” scraped into its back near the Blue Hole on the Homosassa River.
According to the FWC, manatees are considered “threatened” in the state of Florida, and it is against the law to touch the animals. Manatee are also protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, which states: “It is unlawful for any person, at any time, intentionally or negligently, to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb any manatee.”
Last February, a Tampa Bay man poked a manatee with a fishing pole from his boat and faced a $2,000 fine.
Anyone with information regarding the “Trump” scraping of this animal can call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hotline at 888-404-3922 with information.
This post first appeared on our sister site Creative Loafing Tampa.
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This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2021.
