Cesar Gustavo Diaz, 25, was convicted on animal cruelty charges. Photo / California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Cesar Gustavo Diaz, 25, was convicted on animal cruelty charges. Photo / California Department of Fish and Wildlife
An American man has been convicted of animal cruelty after he was caught giving a protected hawk an alcoholic drink.
Cesar Gustavo Diaz was sentenced to 45 days in prison and 12 months’ probation last week for the stunt, which he filmed and posted online, the Independent reported.
According tothe California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the 25-year-old captured the juvenile hawk at Amelia Mayberry Park, in South Whittier near Los Angeles in June.
Cesar Gustavo Diaz entered a no contest plea to animal cruelty charges after giving an alcoholic drink to a hawk, which is protected under California law. Photo / California Department of Fish and Wildlife
The department said it launched an investigation after it was alerted by concerned members of the public to a video Diaz uploaded to YouTube.
A screenshot from the clip, captioned “Hanging out with the homie” shows the hawk perched atop a railing next to a green drinking container.
Another screenshot shows a person dispensing the drink into the bird’s mouth with the caption “Hawk loves him some buz [sic] ball”.
The CDFW confirmed wildlife officers executed five search warrants with the support of detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, NBC News reported.
When they were ready to arrest Diaz, he was found “already in custody on unrelated charges” the CDFW noted in a Facebook post, adding he had “already released the hawk” before their intervention.
Last Thursday, he entered a no contest plea to the charges of misdemeanour animal cruelty and capturing/confining wildlife.
In addition to the 45-day prison sentence and 12 months probation, Diaz was ordered to serve 20 days of community labour and a 24-session animal cruelty counselling programme.
Cesar Gustavo Diaz was convicted after he was caught giving this hawk an alcoholic drink and posting the video to YouTube. Photo / California Department of Fish and Wildlife
He was also fined US$220 ($365), and banned from owning animals for five years, and using or owning a firearm for ten years.
Diaz had already completed 44 of his 45-day prison sentence before sentencing, in part due to credit for good behaviour, according to court records cited by NBC News.
The CDFW issued a warning to citizens that Cooper’s hawks are protected under California and federal laws.
“CDFW reminds the public that capturing, harming or harassing wildlife is illegal and can result in criminal charges,” it said.
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