Two dolphins found dead with bullet and stab wounds in less than a week

A reward of up to $20,000 (£15,400) is being offered to anyone who can help officers hunt the people responsible for the deaths of two dolphins.

Both mammals were found dead with bullet and stab wounds within a week of one another in Florida, said officials from the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA).

The first was found with what appeared to be a bullet or stab wound to its face by biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission off Naples late last week.

That same week Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge experts found another dolphin with what also appeared to be a bullet wound in its left side on Pensacola Beach.

Biologists believe the incidents may have been caused by humans trying to feed the wild dolphins.

They say dolphins which are fed by humans learn to associate people and boats with food, which can cause them to approach people more and put them in dangerous situations.

A NOAA statement said: ‘Dolphins may suffer fatal impacts from boat strikes, entanglement in or ingestion of fishing gear, and acts of intentional harm like these.

‘You can prevent harm to wild dolphins by not feeding or attempting to feed them.’

This is not the first time a dolphin has been found with similar fatal wounds, after one was found dead off Captiva Island in May, last year.

The investigation into that incident is still ongoing and also offers a reward.

NOAA officials said at least 27 other dolphins have been found stranded in the south-east of the US, showing signs of being shot by guns, arrows or impaled with weapons such as fishing spears.

In the past year alone, four similar incidents have happened, added officials.

Harassing, hunting, killing or feeding wild dolphins, or attempting to do such activities are prohibited under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Such crimes are punishable by up to $100,000 (£77,000) fines and up to a year in prison per offence.

NOAA officials urged anyone with information to call their Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964.