Man throws giant rock at endangered seal, gets repeatedly punched in the head and arrested
by Gail Sherman · Boing BoingAn entitled tourist thought he could harass and endanger an animal and face no consequences. He was very wrong. A man on a Maui beach hurled a large rock right at the head of Lani, an endangered Hawaiian monk seal beloved by locals, barely missing her and causing her obvious distress.
When confronted, the man claimed he was rich and "could pay the fine," shoving one of the onlookers. As he attempted to leave the beach, another man followed him and punched him repeatedly in the head. Hawaii State Senator Brenton Awa later presented a letter of commendation to the still anonymous "environmental activist," calling him an "Ambassador of Aloha." Awa clarified that he, of course, does "not condone violence."
Seattle man gets beaten by local Maui resident for throwing rock at an endangered monk seal
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The rock-thrower was later identified as Washington resident Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk. According to Hawaii News Now, Lytvynchuk was subsequently arrested by federal agents and charged with two violations of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Each charge carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $70,000.
The hero who defended the seal remains unidentified, and Lytvynchuk does not appear to be pursuing charges against him, perhaps to avoid being upgraded from villain to supervillain.
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