$20,000 Reward Offered For Information About Beheaded Dolphin

Wilmington, NC – On April 15, a mutilated bottlenose dolphin was found on Lea-Hutaff Island in North Carolina. According to NOAA Fisheries Service, a member of the public discovered and reported the disturbing find to the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline.

In a release, the agency said that the area is a remote, undeveloped barrier island north of Wilmington, North Carolina, only accessible by boat. NOAA said:

“(our) stranding network partner, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, went to the reported location, the 8-foot dolphin had been intentionally mutilated and its head removed. They determined that someone intentionally removed its head between April 16 and April 18, after they received the initial stranding report.”

The mutilated dolphin has undergone a necropsy; the results are pending.

Anyone with information about this incident should call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964.Tops can be made anonymously, but to be eligible for the reward you must include your name and contact information.

NOAA is seeking information leading to one or all of the following:

Successful identification and/or
Successful prosecution for the person(s) responsible
Arrest, conviction, or civil penalty assessment

Harassing, harming, killing or feeding wild dolphins is prohibited under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as is collecting protected species parts. Violations can be prosecuted civilly or criminally and are punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and up to 1 year in jail per violation.

Report any stranded or injured marine animals to the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at (877) WHALE-HELP/ (877) 942-5243).

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