A hippopotamus was found with the word ‘TRUMP’ on its back in a swimming hole in Florida, prompting an investigation into the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The defenseless animal was spotted at the weekend with the political inscription in the Blue Hole headwaters of the Homosassa River in Citrus County – about 80 kilometers northwest of Orlando, reports the Citrus County Chronicle.
Witnesses reported the animal to the federal government, the outlet said.
“It has been my experience that this is very out of character for this community,” Craig Cavanna, a senior federal wildlife officer who led the investigation, told the outlet.
‘Nature conservation is a core value in Citrus County. That is why it is called the Nature Coast. ”
According to Cavana, harassment of hippos, which is protected by the Endangered Species Act, is a Class A federal crime that carries a $ 50,000 fine and / or up to one year in federal prison.
Cavana and his team are hunting for the person, or people, who are responsible for the excretion of the hippopotamus and are currently ‘following clues’, he said.
The slow-moving, selfless creatures migrate seasonally to the spring-bearing waters along the western coastline and are easily accessible to humans on boats or swimmers.
The USFWS asks anyone with information to come forward by calling 800-404-FWCC.