20.10.2026 06:20
A Canadian tourist who grabbed a flamingo by the neck and took it to his room in a hotel's living area in Las Vegas has been found guilty of animal cruelty. The defendant said he drank 30 to 40 beers before the incident.
According to BBC News, Canadian tourist Mitchell Fairbarn, who took a flamingo from a hotel's living area in Las Vegas, USA, and brought it to his room, was found guilty of animal cruelty by a jury.
The 34-year-old Fairbarn, while on vacation in the city in March, took a Chilean flamingo named Peachy, which lived at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, from its enclosure and brought it to his hotel room.
In footage shown at the trial, Fairbarn was seen holding the bird by its neck, taking the elevator up to his room, and smiling. The defendant said he had drunk 30 to 40 beers before the incident and had no intention of harming the animal. Fairbarn also said he thought doing this would be “funny.”
Animal experts told the court that the flamingo's feathers had been plucked out and that it had lost blood. The state veterinarian said Peachy had largely recovered but was now more fearful of people.
Fairbarn's lawyer Josh Tomsheck argued that his client's actions were intended as a harmless joke and that alcohol was to blame for the bad decisions. The lawyer also stated that Fairbarn had received death threats after his arrest.
After hearing 14 witnesses and reviewing more than 112 pieces of evidence, the jury found Fairbarn guilty of felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty in about five hours. The defendant faces nearly five years in prison.
Fairbarn, who has been unable to leave the US since his arrest, is under house arrest in Las Vegas. His sentencing hearing is expected to be held in December.
Source: BBC