On March 14th, a juvenile bottlenose dolphin was discovered on West Mae’s Beach in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, with multiple gunshot wounds. The dolphin’s body was transported to the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans for a necropsy, which revealed that the cause of death was trauma from the bullets. NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident and has offered a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the responsible individual or individuals. The Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits harassing, harming, killing, or feeding wild dolphins, with violators facing fines of up to $100,000 and imprisonment. Anyone with information about the dolphin’s death is urged to contact NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement.
Reward Offered for Information on Dolphin’s Death in Louisiana
