California officials are searching for a man who allegedly decapitated a sea lion in Sonoma County and rode away on his e-bike with the animal’s severed head.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that the sea lion was found dead in Doran Regional Park in Bodega Bay on Christmas Day. Later that day, a park staff member found that the animal’s head had been cut off.
‘Harassing, capturing, or killing sea lions, as well as other marine mammals, is prohibited.’
A witness told officials that the witness had seen a man use an eight-inch black knife to saw the animal’s head off and then place it in a plastic bag before riding away on an e-bike.
The man was described as tan-complexioned, between 30 and 40 years old, wearing all-black clothing, and riding a black fat-tire e-bike.
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is offering $20,000 for information that leads to the man’s conviction or civil penalty. Harassing, capturing, or killing sea lions, as well as other marine mammals, is prohibited by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The bizarre incident follows upon a similar attack in which officials say a man hit a sea lion with a large stick. That animal was found to be pregnant, as well as suffering from poisoning from domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced when fish eat algae.
The man was charged with felony animal cruelty as well as possession of a controlled substance after police said they found methamphetamine in his possession.
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