Latest news with #LeaHutaffIsland
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Decapitated Dolphin in North Carolina Prompts $20,000 Reward Offer From U.S.
The federal authorities want to know who decapitated a dolphin that had been stranded on an island off the coast of North Carolina last month, and they are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information that could help them find out. The 8-foot long bottlenose dolphin was found dead on Lea-Hutaff Island, N.C., on April 15, according to a statement from the Office of Law Enforcement of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The reward notice included a photo of the dolphin, which was missing its head, as it lay on the shore of the remote, undeveloped barrier island, which is north of Wilmington, N.C., and only accessible by boat, the agency said. Officials from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, which partners with NOAA to respond to dolphin strandings in the region, said that they determined that someone intentionally removed the dolphin's head after it had been stranded on the island. The agency noted that the dolphin was carrying Brucella, a bacteria that causes the infectious disease brucellosis, which can be transferred to humans through direct contact. Symptoms of the disease include headaches, fever, sweating and generally feeling badly or malaise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials performed a necropsy, an animal autopsy, and the results and cause of death were pending. Dolphins are not listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, but they are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which bans harassing, hunting, killing or feeding wild dolphins. Violations can lead to fines up to $100,000 and up to one year in jail. Officials said that anyone with information about the Lea-Hutaff Island's dolphin should call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964. People can leave tips anonymously, but to be eligible for the reward, they must include their name and contact information. The agency has previously offered rewards to the public for information about dolphins that appeared to have been killed. Last year, it offered up to a $20,000 reward in exchange for information to find the person who they believe fatally shot a juvenile dolphin at a beach in Louisiana. And in 2020, the federal authorities offered a reward after two dead dolphins that were found with gunshot or stab wounds in Florida.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- The Guardian
Decapitated dolphin found on remote island in North Carolina
Wildlife officials in North Carolina are offering a reward of $20,000 for information about the decapitation of a dolphin on a remote coastal island. The 8ft-long dolphin was initially found, intact, on Lea-Hutaff Island in the state by a member of the public. When staff from the marine mammal stranding team from the University of North Carolina Wilmington arrived a few days later to investigate, they found the animal's head had been removed. 'This animal was intentionally decapitated, a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The remote location where the dolphin was found adds to the difficulty of investigating this incident and cause of death,' said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries' office of law enforcement in a statement. It added that an initial health assessment of the dolphin showed the animal was likely carrying Brucella, a bacteria that causes the infectious disease brucellosis and can be passed on to humans through direct contact. Anyone convicted of mutilating the dolphin could face a fine of up to $100,000 and up to a year in jail. Lea-Hutaff Island is a remote and undeveloped barrier island north of the city of Wilmington and is only accessible by boat. The island is a haven for turtles, as well as shorebirds, wading birds, waterfowl and marsh birds during their nesting, migration and wintering seasons.
