Drunken Rampage Kills At Least 1 Of Only 114 Remaining Wild Pupfish

by | May 15, 2016 | Conservation, Fish, Science | 0 comments

Protecting endangered wildlife is no laughing matter and should be taken seriously by all of us. Recently, three men with no respect for the rule of law and mother nature, trespassed in Death Valley National Park. Local officials stated that the men had been having a night of drinking and shooting rabbits before they jumped the fence protecting the small body of water called Devils Hole, home to the last remaining 115 Devils Hole Pupfish Cyprinodon diabolis in the world. The men proceeded to shoot guns in the area, vomit, though beer cans and swim  in the small pond. “April through May is the peak spawning season for this annual fish, and so the intruder likely crushed and destroyed eggs on the shelf,” park officials said in a statement. At least 1 dead Pupfish was found, leaving only 114 left in the world.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-GGKhThJb4&w=560&h=315] The men tried to unsucsessfully to destroy the security camera and officials were able to review the  footage and collect DNA from the scene to track down the mens identity. An underwater camera used to monitor the pupfish,  captured a pair of feet stomping around and disturbing the shallow nesting area of the fish, while another man jumped into the water and left his boxer shorts floating behind. One of the suspects has confirmed his involment. “The intrusion is believed to have resulted in the death of at least one endangered Devils Hole pupfish, and fisheries biologists are trying to ascertain the extended damage that may have been done to food sources and egg sites, which could lead to more loss of a species whose numbers are now below the last count of 115 in existence,” the sheriff’s office said. Killing an endangered species is a felony. MORE

  • Francis is a marine biologist with an MBA and over 20 years of professional aquarium experience. Francis is the former Aquatic Development Manager at Hagen USA., makers of Fluval brand aquarium products. He co-stars on Nat Geo WILD's reality TV series Fish Tank Kings where he is the resident "Fish Geek" and was Director of Marketing at Living Color Aquariums. He is an avid explorer having visited over 45 countries and lived in 7. At 17, he was among the youngest aquarists ever hired by the Vancouver Aquarium, where he worked for 7 years. His aquatic biology experience ranges from larval fish rearing to the design, construction and operational management of renowned public aquariums around the world. Francis is currently head of marketing at the world's largest vertically integrated fish farming company.

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