Dave Bautista Offers $20K To Catch Person Who Defiled Manatee

TAMPA, FL — "Guardians of the Galaxy" star and Tampa resident Dave Bautista announced he is offering a $20,000 reward for the arrest of the person who wrote the word "Trump" across a manatee's back.

On Sunday, the Center for Biological Diversity in St. Petersburg reported a manatee had been spotted at the mouth of the Homosassa River in Citrus County with the word "Trump" written on its back.

Although some reports said the word had been carved into the gentle marine mammal's back, officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it would be very difficult to get a 990-pound manatee to sit still while someone carved a word into its back.

Bautista said he was outraged that someone would defile a manatee this way, calling the culprit a "low life scummy MAGAT."

"And I promise that there will be bonuses to that reward," he said. Patch contacted Bautista for more details but was unable to reach him.

After examining a photo of the Trump-emblazoned manatee, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded someone likely used his or her fingertip to scratch the president's name in the algae on the manatee's back.

"I am confirming that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating this matter," said Christina Meister of the Office of Public Affairs at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Falls Church, Virginia. "The manatee does not appear to be seriously injured as it seems that the word was written in algae on the animal's back."

Algae thrive in wet areas with lots of sunlight, which makes the backs of slow-moving manatees an ideal breeding ground for algae, said the wildlife service. The manatees don't seem to mind the accumulation of algae. In fact, it may block out harmful sun rays.

Nevertheless, the manatee is a protected species, and it's against the law to touch, feed or disturb them.

"West Indian manatees are essential members of the ecosystems in which they inhabit and are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act," said Aurelia Skipwith, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is aware of this incident and is working closely with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

See related story: 'Trump' Etched Into Back Of FL Manatee In Citrus County: Report

“Manatees aren’t billboards, and people shouldn’t be messing with these sensitive and imperiled animals for any reason,” said Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director at the Center for Biological Diversity, a national, nonprofit conservation organization. “However this political graffiti was put on this manatee, it’s a crime to interfere with these creatures, which are protected under multiple federal laws.”

The center announced a reward of $5,000 for information leading to the conviction of the person who wrote "Trump" on the sea cow.

Bautista, an actor and former pro wrestler, added another $20,000 reward to the pot this week.

Bautista is well-known in the Tampa Bay area for his support of charities that protect and rescue animals. For years, he has promoted the Tampa-based charity Frankie's Friends, which provides veterinary care for owners who can't afford it.

In November 2019, Bautista adopted two 6-year-old pit bull terriers from the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center after a volunteer at the center made an appeal on the Rescue Me Tampa - Shelter Dogs Facebook page.

The former professional WWE wrestling champion said his heart melted when he saw the post and a photo of the two dogs.

Bautista promptly adopted Maggie and Ollie.

Chuck Underwood with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Jacksonville said wildlife officials have yet to locate the manatee but are continuing to search for with help from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

He said the wildlife services doesn't mind a little reward incentive to catch the person responsible, noting that the charge most likely would be harassment of a manatee, a federal criminal offense punishable by up to one year in jail and a $50,000 fine.

Anyone with information is asked to call the wildlife crime tips hotline at 1-844-397-8477 or email FWS_TIPS@FWS.GOV.