WAVELAND, Miss. (WSVN) — Authorities are offering a reward to find the person who shot and killed a pregnant bottlenose dolphin in Mississippi.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating after the dolphin was found dead on a beach. A necropsy revealed the marine mammal died of a gunshot wound, where a small caliber bullet was found lodged in her lung.
The unborn calf died as a result of its mother’s death.
The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies recovered the body on April 30th, but NOAA officials have still not found the person or persons responsible.
“The numbers of violent incidents toward dolphins in the Northern Gulf have increased in recent years. Since 2002, at least 24 dolphins (including this one), have stranded with evidence of being shot by guns or arrows, or impaled with objects,” NOAA’s website said. “Sixty-eight percent of those strandings have occurred since 2010.”
Multiple organizations, including Lightkeepers, the Humane Society of the United States, CetLaw, Ocean Experience, the Animal Welfare Institute and Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder, are offering a combined $11,500 reward for information that leads to the identification of the person who shot the dolphin.
Harassing, harming, killing or feeding wild dolphins is prohibited under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, according to NOAA. Violations are punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and up to 1 year in jail per violation.
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