A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered by The Humane Society of the United States along with The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust for information leading to the arrest and convictions of whoever is responsible for the throat slashings of 14 brown pelicans in south Florida.
The inhumane attacks have left 10 pelicans dead and another four injured.
This reward amount also adds to existing rewards totaling $6,000 offered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and a local construction company.
FWC is currently investigating the incidents which occurred in January.
Over a period of several weeks, pelicans began turning up on Cudjoe Key and in areas from Sugarloaf Key to Big Pine Key with slashed throats.
Officers believe the injuries were intentionally inflicted on the birds with a sharp knife.
The cruel act of slitting the throats of pelicans, who use their pouches to skim water for fish, leads to an agonizingly slow death from starvation.
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“The particularly gruesome and malicious nature of the attacks on these pelicans, who pose no threat to anyone, is heartbreaking," says Kate MacFall, Florida state director for The HSUS. "Whoever is serially mutilating these animals must be caught and severely punished. We are so thankful to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for their determination to find those responsible.”
A local bird rescue found 18 pelicans near Jacksonville who were deliberately beaten and suffering from severely broken wings.
In a separate incident in Fort Lauderdale, a teenager faces criminal charges for allegedly torturing a pelican with vapor from an electronic cigarette and suffocating the bird to death.
In 2013 and 2014, at least 10 pelicans were victims of throat-slashing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FWC Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or text Tip@MyFWC.com.
