WANTED! Urgent Help Needed To Find Attacker Who Stabbed An Elephant Se

WANTED! Urgent Help Needed To Find Attacker Who Stabbed An Elephant Seal Pup In Oregon

 

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is urgently appealing to the public for help in identifying the individual responsible for a disturbing act of violence against a defenseless elephant seal pup. On the night of Sunday, March 16th, between 8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., in a secluded cove near the Proposal Rock Condominiums in Neskowin, Oregon, a young elephant seal was viciously stabbed multiple times. Although the animal miraculously survived, it endured serious injuries from the attack.

 

This sickening crime is actively being investigated by NOAA, which is determined to bring the perpetrator to justice. The seal pup was monitored and evaluated by the Marine Mammal Stranding Team before being relocated to a safer environment. The attack constitutes a clear violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits the harassment, harm, or killing of marine mammals. Convictions can result in penalties of up to $100,000 in fines and one year in prison for each offense.

 

NOAA has identified a person of interest in this horrific case and released a sketch to aid in the investigation. The individual is described as a white male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a standard build. He has black and white hair, a neatly groomed beard, and a distinctive large gap between his front teeth. Witnesses recall that he wore aviator-style glasses with thick lenses, a thin blue and light green fleece top over a lined checkered shirt, and a thin blue and yellow cord around his neck, similar to those used in climbing. He was also seen wearing dark trousers, a low-profile black cap with a flat front featuring an orange excavator logo with the word ‘Timber,’ and lightweight hiking shoes or low boots.

 

Investigators are also seeking information regarding a vehicle seen in the area at the time of the attack. The van is described as a dark blue Dodge or Chrysler model from the 1990s. Notably, the rear passenger window on the driver’s side was covered in plastic, and the interior appeared cluttered. This vehicle was observed in the parking lot adjacent to the cove behind the Proposal Rock Condominiums.

 

This was not a random or careless act of violence; it was a brutal attack on a vulnerable animal that is protected under federal law. The individual responsible must be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law before they harm another animal.

 

Anyone with information is urged to call the NOAA Law Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964. Reports can be made anonymously.

 

If you encounter an injured, dead, or stranded marine mammal, please contact NOAA’s West Coast Stranding Hotline at (866) 767-6114. For marine mammals entangled in debris, call NOAA’s Entanglement Reporting Hotline at (877) 767-9425.

 

Source: worldanimalnews