A bottlenose dolphin was discovered dead on West Mae’s Beach in Louisiana’s Cameron Parish, in March, with wounds that indicated the animal had been shot multiple times.
Authorities from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were alerted when they received a report on March 13.
The necropsy–or animal autopsy–of the juvenile sea mammal revealed “multiple bullets lodged in the carcass, including the brain, spinal cord, and heart of the dolphin,” according to the NOAA. The organization also reported that the dolphin appeared to have died from the trauma which occurred at, or near, the time of death.
“A member of the public reported the stranding to the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline,” the NOAA said in a statement released on Tuesday. “NOAA’s stranding network partner, Audubon Aquarium Rescue, recovered the animal and transported it to the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans for a necropsy.”
NOAA’s office of Law Enforcement is now actively investigating the death and they are requesting the public to provide any information about who may have been involved in the death of the young dolphin, with a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to a criminal conviction or the assessment of a civil penalty.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964. People may leave tips anonymously, but to be eligible for the reward you must include your name and contact information.
According to the NOAA, “harassing, harming, killing, or feeding wild dolphins is prohibited under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.” Violations of this law are punishable by up to $100,00 in fines and 1 year in jail.
