State wildlife officials are looking for the people who tortured a spotted eagle ray on Peanut Island in August and the person who broadcast it on YouTube.
Jeff Ardelean, a captain with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said his office was informed of the video on Thursday.
It shows a man cutting off the ray's tail and then poking it with a knife. Seconds later, the eagle ray flips over while the man keeps poking it. Bystanders laugh and encourage him to keep going.
"I was sick," Ardelean said. "No living thing needs to be treated that way."
Ardelean said the video does not identify the abuser or those who were encouraging him, but he thinks as many as 10 people were involved. He also thinks the ray died as a result.
Fish and wildlife commission biologists said the abused ray was a spotted eagle ray, protected in Florida waters. They usually are found in shallow inshore waters and mainly feed on bivalves. They can weigh up to 500 pounds and grow up to 17 feet long.
The video was posted by a user named Zalpz.
His profile says he is 35 years old and joined YouTube in March 2006. A disclaimer on the video says the person who filmed the incident didn't participate in the crime.
The video was removed from the Web site on June 19, 2007, Ardelean said. A message from YouTube says it was removed by the user.
Though YouTube states in its guidelines that users can't post dangerous or illegal acts, such as animal abuse, YouTube does not control the content of the site. Users can flag videos, and once flagged, the videos are reviewed and removed if they violate the terms of use.
Ardelean said he is trying to get more information from the copy of the video he has and from witnesses.
He said the State Attorney's Office will decide whether to prosecute anyone. Under Florida law cruelty to animals that results in death is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of no more than $10,000 or both. Those involved also could be charged with a first- or second-degree misdemeanor.
"You can't do what they did to this animal or make it suffer," he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call (888) 404-3922. If you have information on this case, please contact:
(888) 404-3922
Case UpdatesState wildlife officials say they've found the man who posted an online video showing a protected spotted eagle ray being abused on Peanut Island.
Law enforcement officials spotted the video on the video sharing Web site YouTube. The 90-second video shows a group of men pulling an eagle ray out of the water and cutting off its tail before killing it. The aquatic animals are protected by the state.
Wildlife officials say the Miami man who posted the video is cooperating, and he's been receiving death threats online. He does not face any charges because he was not part of the group that tortured and killed the ray.
The men in the video could face criminal charges ranging from misdemeanor killing of a protected species to felony animal cruelty.
Anyone with information on the attack should call the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 888-404-3922. | Source: Wink News - June 22, 2007
Update posted on Jun 22, 2007 - 5:26PM |
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