Two law students decapitated a helmeted guineafowl at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on October 12. According to ABC News, the men's actions were recorded on surveillance video and they have been charged with felony crimes, including willful and malicious torture and killing of wildlife.
It doesn't surprise most Las Vegas visitors that the Flamingo Hotel and Casino is home to a flock of flamingos, but the property's wildlife exhibit also houses hundreds of other animals, including a wide range of exotic bird species.
What do you think the penalty ought to be for this outrageous act? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Helmeted Guineafowl
Photo © William Warby
Comments
I’m not sure how strict fish and wildlife is about non-native birds. However, this is more than killing a bird; this is exposing a general cruel streak in these people and that needs to be addressed. Certainly a stiff fine and some jail time (a few weeks perhaps) might get the message across. They were probably drinking and thought it would be funny but it really isn’t.
A fine of triple the replacement value of the bird, plus a few years in jail sounds pretty good. Something like this should not be shrugged off as a drunken act. What else might these people do when drunk? Attack a human being? The relationship between torturing and killing animals, and torturing and killing humans, is well documented.