WWE and Hollywood star Dave Bautista offers £15k reward to find people who scratched ‘Trump’ into a manatee’s back
WWE star turned Hollywood actor Dave Bautista has offered nearly a £15,000 reward to the person who scratched the word ‘Trump’ onto a manatee.
The former world champion, who performed as Batista, condemned the act of cruelty on the marine mammal and launched a plea to find those responsible.
The word ‘Trump’ has been carved into the poor animal’s back[/caption]He tweeted: “If there’s not already a reward for the arrest and conviction of the low life scummy MAGATs that did this I’ll throw in $20,000.”
Bautista, who returned for his retirement match at WrestleMania 35 in 2019 against Triple H, continued: “And I promise there will be bonuses to that reward!”
The poor manatee was found Sunday in the Homosassa River north of Tampa, Florida and the US Fish and Wildlife Service have launched an investigation into the disgusting incident.
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the word of the soon-to-be former US President was scratched into algae on the threatened species’ back.
Jaclyn Lopez, the Florida director at the center, said: “Manatees aren’t billboards, and people shouldn’t be messing with these sensitive and imperiled animals for any reason.
“However this political graffiti was put on this manatee, it’s a crime to interfere with these creatures, which are protected under multiple federal laws.”
Manatees are protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act and are also federally protected by both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Any individual found to be harassing a manatee can be fined $50,000 fine and potentially face up to a year in jail.
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A $5k reward is also being offered by the Center for Biological Diversity for any information that leads to a conviction.
Batista left McMahon’s pro wrestling company in 2010 but returned three years later.
The Hollywood actor walked out of the WWE again in 2014 after Evolution lost to The Shield and would not come back until 2018, wrestling his final match a year later against Triple H.
With his competitive career now up, Batista insisted last year he will remain ‘connected’ with the WWE Universe.
He explained: “I said that at WrestleMania last year it’s the end of my in-ring journey, but it’s not the end of my journey with the WWE.
“I will always be connected with them, I’ll always be affiliated with them, I hope that I will always have a good relationship with them.
“So it doesn’t really feel like an ending for me, it feels like, kind of, I’m right in the mix.
“All I can say is it feels good, it’s just satisfying. I feel like I accomplished something. I feel like it was all worth it.”