Punish RFK Jr. for Mutilation of Whale, Dog, and Bear Cub

Target: Everett Baxter, Director of NOAA Office of Law Enforcement

Goal: Investigate Robert Kennedy, Jr. for desecration of wildlife carcasses.

Former presidential candidate – and former environmental lawyer – Robert Kennedy, Jr. recently made headlines after he confessed to dumping the carcass of a bear cub in Central Park. In an interview, Kennedy reported that he had decided to “stage” the cub’s body in the park to make it appear as if the animal had been struck by a bicycle. Photographs also emerged of Kennedy seemingly play-acting with the carcass. Before this incident, Kennedy faced criticism after another photo showed him consuming a barbecued animal that some believed to be a dog. Now, this supposed “animal lover” is being accused of disrespecting another dead animal, and in the process potentially violating federal wildlife laws.

The latest controversy arises from Kennedy’s own daughter, who discussed an anecdote involving her father and a family beach trip. According to the account, the family discovered a dead whale on the beach. Kennedy took a chainsaw and cut off the whale’s head, then affixed the body part to the family van. As the daughter’s account goes, Kennedy drove hours, with the whale’s head atop the van, until the family arrived home.

If true, this action alone could be in violation of the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Lacey Act: one of the nation’s earliest conservation laws. The latter prevents transport of wildlife – dead or alive – that is obtained illegally, and it is a felony violation. Advocates are calling on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement to investigate this matter and to demand Kennedy turn over the whale skull and any other wildlife remains he has procured illegally.

Sign the petition below to urge the agency to ensure that no suspect is above the law.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Director Baxter,

Robert Kennedy, Jr. and members of his family are openly bragging about violations of wildlife conservation laws. The incident of the bear cub carcass in Central Park made national headlines a decade ago and remained shrouded in mystery…until Kennedy seemingly confessed to the incident. And more recently, Kennedy’s daughter recounted an equally troubling event in which Kennedy allegedly severed a whale’s head and transported it hours away to his home.

The whale incident itself could have violated several federal laws, including the Lacey Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Please launch an investigation into this potential crime and compel Mr. Kennedy’s cooperation in surrendering any illegally obtained wildlife remains. Kennedy’s high profile should not shield him from full accountability.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore