Kit Roberts
Warning: This article contains discussion of animal cruelty which some readers may find distressing.
A Canadian man visiting Las Vegas has been arrested after allegedly stealing a flamingo from a hotel.
CCTV footage shared online appears to show the shirtless man carrying the flamingo in an elevator and down a hallway after allegedly taking it from the Flamingo Hotel and Casino.
He was eventually detained by security staff at the hotel, who told the police he had been in the flamingo habitat for around eight minutes.
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Footage of the alleged incident shows a man jumping over the fence around the flamingos' enclosure and injuring two of the six birds in there as a result.
In the clip, the man seemingly attempts to grab one of the birds, called Peachy, seizing it by the legs and holding it on the ground.
Six birds live in the enclosure, with the others called Omega, Pitbull, Blackjack, Bugsy, and Bubbalicious.
Staff at the Las Vegas hotel have now confirmed that two flamingos were badly hurt during the incident, and one of the birds may have fatal injuries.
A security officer said: “We went out to the habitat, and we were missing one, and two were seriously injured, in fact, one may not make it. Surveillance caught him jumping the fence.”
Security at the resort dialled 911, with a call from a security supervisor asking 911 when they would respond in a further call at around 8am, saying: “He stole one of the flamingo birds. It’s kind of serious stuff.”
After being arrested, the man was questioned about why he allegedly entered the enclosure and came back with an extraordinary explanation.
He claimed that he had believed one of the birds appeared to be injured and had gone to assist it.
Speaking to 8 News Now, police said: “He stated he knows that ‘popping’ the wing back into its place (is) a common practice for birds, such as ducks.
“He has knowledge of this because he is a farm boy.”
However, police said that footage recovered from the man's phone allegedly shows him torturing the bird in his hotel room.
An arrest report obtained by KTNV claimed that when he allegedly attempted to fix the broken wing, he instead pulled it out of the flamingo's body and ruptured its blood supply.
Now, the man has four charges of wilful/malicious torture, maiming or killing of a 'federally protected migratory species'.
In a court hearing, the man was given a bail of $12,000, which was paid, and ordered to wear a GPS monitor, possess no animals, and surrender his passport, with a further hearing scheduled for May 6.
Judge Harmony Letizia said: “If he has a single violation while he’s out on bail and electronic monitoring that was set by the judge in initial appearance court, he is going to be remanded without bail in this case.”
Peachy the flamingo is 27 years old, flamingos can live to 50 in captivity, and is reportedly recovering well at Lone Mountain Animal Hospital.
Dr Tiffany Moore, medical director at the hospital, told KSNV: “When I saw Peachy, he was bright and alert and responsive, and he was stable, but there were some minor injuries to his wings.
“There were a couple blood feathers that were injured and we took care of that with pain meds to help support because it is painful, very similar to ripping off a fingernail.”
Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment, which owns the Flamingo hotel, said: “We are aware of the deeply distressing incident involving a guest who was arrested for breaking into our wildlife habitat and assaulting our flamingos. The safety and well-being of our iconic flock are of the utmost importance to us, and we will be pursuing charges against this individual to the fullest extent possible.
“Our beloved birds, including Peachy, who was cruelly taken from the habitat, are currently in the care of dedicated veterinarians and our extraordinary Flamingo animal care team. We remain hopeful they will make a full recovery.
“We are grateful to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and to our security and animal care teams for their swift response. We appreciate the outpouring of concern from our guests and the community, and we remain focused on supporting the continued recovery of these remarkable birds.”
UNILAD has contacted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for comment.
If you see an animal in distress and/or in need of help, call 911 if a crime is in progress. You can also visit a directory of animal abuse investigation agencies by state here.