Manatee Harassed With ‘Trump’ Written On Its Back

Federal officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife are looking into the matter of a manatee in Florida that was found with the President’s name on its back.

The agency and Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission seek information after a video showed a manatee in the Homosassa River with “Trump,” on its back though it appeared otherwise uninjured.

“The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is investigating the harassment of a manatee…reported to federal authorities over the weekend discovered w/ words "Trump" scraped in its back …discovered in Blue Hole on the Homosassa River” (via @CitrusChronicle )
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Insurrectioning wildlife? pic.twitter.com/PvzI3pZ5Xn

— 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐞 (@exavierpope) January 11, 2021

Manatees are protected in Florida and are considered “threatened” by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, after previously being classified as “endangered” in 2017.

Environmental advocates criticized the decision, saying that downgrading the creature’s classification could negatively affect conservation efforts.

However, it did not directly downgrade the level of federal protections.