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Flamingos are my favorite birds and I have long loved seeing them on the Vegas Strip, feeding them in Aruba, and even stop to admire the giant one in Tampa International Airport (TPA) every time I pass through. A Canadian tourist is now facing multiple felony animal abuse charges after police say he broke into a wildlife habitat at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (review here) in Las Vegas, stole a flamingo, and injured the bird in his hotel room.
According to authorities, the 33-year-old man from Ontario was staying at the hotel when the incident occurred. The resort is operated by Caesars Entertainment and features a four-acre wildlife habitat housing flamingos and other exotic birds. Police say the incident occurred in the early morning hours of March 3rd. Surveillance footage allegedly shows the man entering the hotel’s wildlife habitat around 5:00 AM and grabbing a flamingo named Peachy. Investigators say he injured several other birds during the encounter before taking Peachy back to his hotel room.
Authorities were alerted to the situation after receiving reports that a man had broken into the habitat and harmed animals. During questioning, the suspect reportedly told police that he entered the enclosure after seeing a flamingo in distress and attempted to help the bird by popping its wing back into place. He claimed he was familiar with the practice from growing up on a farm.
However, investigators say they later discovered photos and videos on the man’s phone that appeared to show him harming the bird. In one video, police say the man indicated he planned to take the flamingo home with him. Officers also reported finding a large bloody feather inside the suspect’s hotel room.
Peachy was later recovered and taken into the care of veterinarians along with the resort’s animal care team. The flamingo reportedly suffered a wing injury that required stitches after the wing was pulled from its normal position. The Flamingo Las Vegas wildlife habitat is home to Chilean flamingos, exotic waterfowl, brown pelicans, and several species of fish and turtles, along with local bird species native to the region.
The suspect now faces four felony counts of animal abuse. During a court hearing the day after the incident, a Las Vegas judge set bail at $12,000 and ordered the man to surrender his passport. Court records show that he has since posted bond. In my opinion, this is too lax. I’d like to see his arm yanked out of its socket, but that’s just me.
Resort owner Caesars Entertainment confirmed it is aware of the incident and said it plans to pursue charges against the individual. The company said its animal care team is closely monitoring Peachy and the other birds affected by the incident while they recover. The suspect is scheduled to return to court on March 9th as the case proceeds.
Anthony’s Take: There is no other way to say this, but this individual is a worthless piece of shit. Torturing and injuring a flamingo is absurd. I hope that he is found guilty and the maximum possible sentence is thrown his way. I’m assuming this happened after a night of partying, but what happens in Vegas does not always stay there. Hopefully, Peachy makes a full recovery.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
1 comment
I mostly agree with your assessments. I disagree about the part of having his arm popped out. Not only would that repay this piece of shit’s cruelty with more cruelty but I think that two years in prison plus a very large fine would do society better. I also hope his buddy in the pictures gets some nice prison time too.