A Canadian man has been found guilty of animal cruelty after he took a flamingo from its enclosure in Las Vegas and brought it back to his hotel room during an alcohol-fuelled bender.
Mitchell Fairbarn, who was visiting the US city, took the Chilean flamingo named Peachy from the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in March.
Videos shown at his trial showed a smiling Fairbarn carrying the bird by the neck as he took a lift to his room. He testified that he had drunk 30 to 40 beers before the incident and said he never meant to harm the animal. He faces nearly five years in prison.
Animal experts testified the flamingo had feathers torn out and suffered blood loss due to Fairbarn’s actions.
A lawyer for Fairbarn said his actions were intended as a harmless prank, and blamed alcohol for his “bad decisions”.
“He should not have done that, should not have gone into the habitat, shouldn’t have touched a bird, shouldn’t have taken Peachy inside,” said his lawyer Josh Tomsheck, external.
“The truth is, Mitch was drunk. Mitch was stupid. He made bad decisions.”
His lawyer added he had received death threats since his arrest.
Testifying in his defence, Fairbarn, 34, said he thought it would be “funny” to take the bird.
He said he had been up drinking all night and had just gotten off a call with a colleague when he made the decision to abscond with the bird.
The Flamingo Las Vegas, located along the famous Las Vegas strip, features a wildlife habitat inside its hotel and casino that is free to walk through. It features a flock of Chilean flamingos, other birds, fish and turtles.
During the trial, the jury heard from 14 witnesses and reviewed more than 112 pieces of evidence, according to CBS, the BBC’s US partner.
It took a jury around five hours to convict him on felony and misdemeanour animal abuse charges.
Fairbarn has been unable to leave the US since his arrest. He remains on house arrest in Las Vegas, with a sentencing hearing due to take place in December.
A veterinarian for the state said that Peachy has largely recovered since the event but has a now has a more anxious demeanour around humans.
