Nature
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A man has landed himself in hot water with the law (and found new levels of douchebaggery) after allegedly beaching a hammerhead shark, repeatedly punching it, and then taking photos of it.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.The 21-year-old was seen by witnesses dragging a 2.7 meter (9 foot) hammerhead shark out of the water and onto the beach with his friend near the pier in St Andrews State Park in Florida on the evening of October 24, according to an Incident Summary Report by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, obtained by Panama City News Herald.
“The white male had his left arm around the shark’s head and was punching it repeatedly in the stomach,” the eye-witness said.
They then pulled the shark further on shore, sat a 4-year old boy on its body, and proceeding to take photos of the kid, the witness went on to say. The two men then released the hammerhead shark back into the water.
Officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to a call about the incident and managed to question the man. In an attempt to justify his actions, the officers said he explained he was punching the shark around the stomach area to get the air out of its lungs.
“It’s kinda like doing CPR on a shark,” he explained.
It should go without saying, sharks do not have lungs.
Unsurprisingly, the officers found the hammerhead dead under a pier later that night.
Great hammerheads are considered a prohibited species in Florida, so it’s illegal to harvest, land, or kill them. On a side note, they are also considered endangered under the IUCN Red List. As such, charges are being filed against the 21-year-old. The other man involved is believed to have avoided charges.
That's one step back for marine conservation, one giant leap for idiots.
[H/T: Panama City News Herald]
