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Take a look at what to do to take care of four young dolphins at the aquarium at Texas State Aquarium – it's not just about swimming with them, it takes a lot of time and dedication.
Natalia Contreras / Caller-Times

The corpse of a common dolphin shot was found on November 8, 2018 on a beach in the Los Angeles area.(Photo courtesy of Marine Animal Rescue)

The body of a common dolphin recently stranded on a beach in the Los Angeles area with a bullet in the body, resulting in an investigation and award of $ 10,000, according to a rescue group.

The animal was discovered on November 8 in the waves of Manhattan Beach, California, said Saturday at USA TODAY the president and founder of Marine Animal Rescue. Peter Wallerstein said his organization was completing animal rescues for Los Angeles County and had released information about the incident this week.

When Wallerstein answered a call, he found a dolphin with an unusual hole in his skin. The next day, an examination had revealed that the animal had been slaughtered.

The murder was a "brutal and senseless act of aggression", presumably by a boater, Wallerstein said. According to his knowledge of the behavior of the dolphins, Wallerstein did not think that the dolphin could have acted aggressively or that the shooter could have defended himself. .

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The dolphin was probably shot off the coast because it is there that the protected species is the most widespread. Wallerstein hypothesized that the shooter was far enough from the shore to be isolated: "They knew they were not being watched."

The National Maritime Fisheries Service is investigating the incident, he said.

The Wallerstein organization is offering a $ 10,000 reward for information leading to a conviction, he said Saturday. Previously, the group had announced a reward of $ 5,000.

Since 1972, the federal law on the protection of marine mammals has covered dolphins and other oceanic mammals, including sea lions, manatees and whales. Killing someone can be punished with jail time and heavy fines.

Follow Joel Shannon on Twitter: @ JoelShannon91

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