Public observation of the bottlenose dolphin was reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at a beach near New Orleans, Louisiana.
After Audubon Aquarium Rescue found and recovered the aquatic mammal, a necropsy revealed “multiple bullets lodged in the carcass, including in the brain, spinal cord, and heart”.
“The animal appeared to have died from the trauma, which occurred at or near the time of death,” according to the news.
After the finding on March 13, the newsis now offering a reward of $20,000 (£16,000) for information leading to a criminal conviction or the imposition of a civil penalty.
