Federal officials investigating after video shows ‘Trump’ written on manatee’s back

Officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife are reportedly investigating after a manatee in Florida was found with the president’s name written on its back.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported Monday that there appeared to be no serious harm done to the creature, “as it seems the word was written in algae on the animal’s back,” according to a report from The New York Times. 

However, it is still unclear what specifically happened to the manatee that had the name “Trump” written on its back. 

“The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is investigating the harassment of a manatee…reported to federal authorities over the weekend discovered w/ words “Trump” scraped in its back …discovered in Blue Hole on the Homosassa River” (via @CitrusChronicle )
–
Insurrectioning wildlife? pic.twitter.com/PvzI3pZ5Xn

— (@exavierpope) January 11, 2021

The Center for Biological Diversity offered a $5,000 reward for information regarding who wrote the name on the animal’s back, according to the Times. 

“Manatees aren’t billboards, and people shouldn’t be messing with these sensitive and imperiled animals for any reason,” Jaclyn Lopez, the center’s Florida director, said according to the newspaper. 

Manatees are protected in Florida and are considered “threatened” by the Fish and Wildlife Service, after previously being classified as “endangered” until 2017.

The decision was met with controversy at the time, with environmental advocates warning that downgrading the classification for the creature could have adverse effects for conservation efforts, though it did not directly downgrade the level of federal protections.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article indicated that the word “Trump” was carved into the animal’s back and caused scarring. The article has been updated with information from Fish and Wildlife Service stating that the word appears to be written in the algae on the animal’s back.