A manatee was found with the word “TRUMP” scrawled on its back in a Florida swimming hole, prompting an investigation by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, reports Monday.
The defenseless animal was spotted with the political inscription in the Blue Hole headwaters of the Homosassa River in Citrus County over the weekend – about 80 miles northwest of Orlando, the Citrus County Chronicle reported.
Witnesses have reported the animal to federal authorities, the newspaper said.
“It has been my experience that this is very strange to this community,” Craig Cavanna, a senior federal wildlife officer responsible for the investigation, told the outlet.
“Wildlife conservation is a core value in Citrus County. That is why it is called the Nature Coast. “
Cavana said that harassment of manatees, which are protected by the Endangered Species Act, is a Class A federal crime that landed a fine of $ 50,000 and / or up to a year in federal prison, the outlet reported.
Cavana and his team are on the hunt for the person, or people, responsible for describing the manatee and are “currently following clues,” he told the outlet.
The slow-moving, lazy creatures seasonally migrate to the spring waters along the county’s west coast and are easily accessible to people on boats or swimmers, the outlet reported.
The USFWS is asking anyone with information to come forward by calling 800-404-FWCC.