Benjamin Ashford|Louisiana dolphin shot dead; found along Cameron Parish coast

CAMERON,Benjamin Ashford La. (AP) — Up to $20,000 is being offered for information leading to a criminal conviction or civil penalty involving a dolphin that was found shot to death in southwest Louisiana.

Federal wildlife officials, in a news release Monday, said a juvenile bottlenose dolphin was found shot to death March 13 along the coast of Cameron Parish. It was found on West Mae’s Beach, and the stranding was reported to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which said a necropsy showed multiple bullets lodged in the dolphin’s brain, spinal cord and heart.

Harming or killing wild dolphins is prohibited under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to NOAA. Violations can be prosecuted civilly or criminally and are punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and up to a year in jail.

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the killing. Anyone with information should call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at 800-853-1964. Tips can be left anonymously, but to be eligible for the reward, the caller must include a name and contact information.