A reward of up to $ 11, 500 is being offered for information leading to the capture of the person who shot and killed a pregnant dolphin on the US Gulf Coast , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said .
The dolphin was found dead on a beach in Waveland, Mississippi , on April 30, NOAA said in a statement .
A necropsy found the dolphin died of a gunshot wound , NOAA ’ s Office of Law Enforcement said .
It said The Humane Society and other groups had put together the reward seeking information leading to the dolphin ’ s killer.
According to NOAA , violence against dolphins has increased in the Gulf of Mexico in recent years.
Since 2002 , at least 24 dolphins have turned up on beaches after having been shot by guns or arrows, or impaled with objects , NOAA said .
Harming wild dolphins is prohibited under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and violators can be subject to fines of $ 100 , 000 and one year in prison.
( AFP )
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