Officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife are reportedly investigating after a manatee in Florida was found with the president’s name etched into its back.
The Chronicle Online reported Monday that the agency and Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are seeking information after video showed a manatee in the Homosassa River with severe scarring on its back that read “TRUMP,” though it appeared otherwise uninjured.
“The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is investigating the harassment of a manatee…reported to federal authorities over the weekend discovered w/ words “Trump” scraped in its back …discovered in Blue Hole on the Homosassa River” (via @CitrusChronicle )
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Insurrectioning wildlife? pic.twitter.com/PvzI3pZ5Xn— (@exavierpope) January 11, 2021
Manatees are protected in Florida and are considered “threatened” by the Fish and Wildlife Service, after previously being classified as “endangered” until 2017.
The decision was met with controversy at the time, with environmental advocates warning that downgrading the classification for the creature could have adverse effects for conservation efforts, though it did not directly downgrade the level of federal protections.
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