14 DAY TRIAL // Only recently, local authorities in Mississippi were faced with having to explain how it was that a severed dolphin head ended up washed ashore on a beach in this American state.
To make matters even worse, this dolphin head was accompanied by the body of another marine mammal belonging to this species. As preliminary investigations revealed, this second dolphin was shot.
Seeing how, throughout the past few weeks, several stabbed and mutilated dolphins have been showing up along the beaches in the Gulf of Mexico, local authorities suspect that these two new corpses were also the result of foul play. Sources explain that the severed dolphin head was discovered on Mississippi's Horn Island, whereas the shot animal was found on a beach in Gulfport.
As the Executive Director of the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies, Moby Solangi, explains, “It's a possibility that it could be a connection. It's very rare that you see just the head of a dolphin.”
For the time being, a thorough investigation is carried out in order to determine the exact circumstances in which these marine mammals lost their lives. Hopefully, some of the evidence collected will also help bring the culprits to justice.
Meanwhile, Sea Shepherd leader Captain Paul Watson promises that he will give $20,000 (€15,625) to whomever lends a helping hand in identifying these dolphin killers and bringing them to justice.
According to the Captain, it is quite likely that local fishermen are the ones responsible for these killings, seeing how the dolphins living in this part of the US feed on the fish they wish to catch for themselves.
“I regard the killing of a dolphin as murder, and what we appear to have on the Gold Coast is a dolphin serial killer. I want this sadistic killer stopped,” Sea Shepherd's leader said.
The Institute and Animal Legal Defense Fund is also offering a $5,000 (€3,835) to those who step forward and provide local authorities with reliable and valuable pieces of information concerning the people behind these acts of animal cruelty.