Teens convicted in second US dolphin bow-killing

Two Texas brothers face up to a year in federal prison after pleading guilty to killing a bottlenose dolphin with a compound bow in the Gulf of Mexico. It is the second case of a dolphin slain by arrow to go to court in recent months.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Cory Moseley, 23, and Cade Moseley, 18, were fishing on Cow Bayou near Orangefield, Texas, when they saw two dolphins and began shooting arrows at them in July 2014. The case was investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s law enforcement division.

“It is disheartening that individuals would kill a dolphin for the sport of it, especially in today’s age,” said Tracy Dunn with NOAA in a press release. “And, without the determination and skills of the NOAA investigator, supported by [Coast Guard Investigative Service] and [Texas Parks and Wildlife Department] this unnecessary death may have gone unsolved.”

A NOAA official said dolphin killings are not extremely rare, noting the creatures’ corpses have been found with arrows, gunshot wounds, and even a screwdriver once.

Source: Chron