Feds arrest tourist accused of hurling rock at endangered seal's head
Summary
A tourist in Hawaii was arrested for throwing a large rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal named Lani. He is charged with harassing a protected animal and faces possible jail time and fines if convicted.Key Facts
- Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, from Washington state, was arrested by federal agents near Seattle.
- He threw a coconut-sized rock at Lani, an endangered monk seal, on a Maui beach.
- The rock missed the seal’s head but caused the animal to change its behavior.
- The incident was recorded on video by a witness and reported to authorities.
- Lytvynchuk said he did not care about the incident and claimed he could pay any fines.
- Hawaiian monk seals are critically endangered, with only about 1,600 left in the wild.
- If found guilty, he could face up to one year in prison and fines up to $70,000 under U.S. laws protecting endangered species and marine mammals.
- Maui officials and the U.S. Attorney’s office emphasized the importance of protecting Hawaii’s wildlife.
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