OCEAN CITY, Maryland—A Maryland man seen tackling a federally protected pelican on video has been arrested on animal cruelty charges out of Florida.
Maryland State Police said in a Friday, March 15, release that 31-year-old William Hunter Hardesty was arrested at a hotel in Ocean City, Maryland. Concerned citizens said they believed the individual in the video was staying at the hotel.
Troopers were told the individual was bragging to them about being wanted for feeding and tackling a pelican in the Florida Keys, according to a police statement.
News outlets report the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated the video of Hardesty trying to capture a brown pelican at Florida’s Key West Historic Seaport.
In the video, Hardesty lured and then jumped on top of the pelican in the water. The video was taken March 5 and posted on his Facebook page March 8.
man jumps on pelican…for the fun of it
here's the clip where Hunter Hardesty thinks it's funny to jump on a pelican after luring him with some food…sick. He doesn't feel any remorse, post is up on his facebookpage and looks like he still thinks it's all a big joke.It's not, you're a very pathetic person and we hope that snap from the bird hurt a lot..https://www.facebook.com/hunter.hardesty
由 Roar Wildlife News 发布于 2019年3月9日周六
Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward told The Miami Herald the charges amount to five misdemeanors.
Hardesty is being held as a fugitive in the Worcester County Detention Center, awaiting extradition to Florida.
#Maryland man (Hunter Hardesty) appears to attack federally protected pelican in viral video – Baltimore Sun #birds #animals #hunterhardesty https://t.co/qzNdZdKNyi
— Jordan Letkemann (@jordanletkemann) March 12, 2019
Reports didn’t include comment from Hardesty, who’s originally from Anne Arundel County.
Animal Abuse
In the United States, there are a number of ways to report suspected animal abuse cases.
The best way is to report suspected cruelty to local law enforcement agencies, humane society organizations, animal control, or an animal shelter.
“A concise, written, factual statement of what you observed—giving dates and approximate times whenever possible—to provide to law enforcement,” says the ASPCA on its website.
“If you can, provide law enforcement with the names and contact information of other people who have firsthand information about the abusive situation,” the website says. “It is possible to file an anonymous report, but please consider providing your information.
The case is more likely to be pursued when there are credible witnesses willing to stand behind the report and, if necessary, testify in court.”
