Florida Manatee Found With ‘Trump’ Inscribed On Its Back, Prompts Probe

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is probing a video that showed a manatee discovered in Florida with the word “Trump” inscribed on its back.

The sea mammal was found Sunday swimming with the political inscription in algae on its back in North Florida’s Blue Hole headwaters of the Homosassa River in Citrus County, about 80 miles northwest of Orlando, according to the Citrus County Chronicle, a local publication which published the video.

Witnesses alerted the federal authorities about the finding, the outlet reported.

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is aware of this incident and is working closely with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission," Aurelia Skipwith, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a statement, Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told Reuters that the animal didn’t appear to be gravely injured.

Manatees, the warm-blooded mammals that live off seagrasses and other aquatic plants, are currently listed as "threatened" by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The species is protected by federal law and harassing them can draw up to $50,000 worth of fine and/or up-to one year in prison.

"This abhorrent action goes beyond the bounds of what is considered cruel and inhumane," Elizabeth Fleming, a senior Florida representative at Defenders of Wildlife, a non-profit, told USA Today. "I’m disgusted that someone would harm a defenseless creature to send what I can only assume is a political message. We will do everything in our power to help find, arrest, and successfully prosecute this coward.”

The Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity has announced $5,000 information leading to the identification of the suspects, as per Reuters.

Jaclyn Lopez, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Florida director, slammed etching of the "political graffiti" on the defenseless animal’s back. "Manatees aren’t billboards, and people shouldn’t be messing with these sensitive and imperiled animals for any reason," USA Today quoted Lopez, as saying.

West Indian manatees seek refuge in the spring-fed waters along the coastline of Citrus County, which makes them susceptible to harassment by swimmers and boaters.

The harassment of the animal comes amid nationwide protests by pro-Trump supporters demanding presidential election results be overturned. Rioters coming directly from Trump’s “Save America Rally” stormed the U.S. Capitol Hill building by breaching safety barriers in a show of support for Trump as the Congress gathered to certify Joe Biden as the 46^th president of the United States. The storming left at least five dead, including one police officer.