Man arrested after allegedly running around campground holding a pelican
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REXBURG – A man was charged with misdemeanor disturbing the peace and resisting or obstructing officers on July 11, after he was allegedly intoxicated and running around a campground holding a pelican.
The man was arrested on July 11 at the Warm Slough campground in Rexburg, after a witness called the Madison County Sheriff’s Department after reporting that three intoxicated males “had caught a pelican and were carrying it around the campground,” according to deputy reports.
When deputies arrived, they told the three men that they were being given a warning for harassing the wildlife.
According to Idaho Fish and Game, pelicans are federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Two of the men, reportedly began yelling at the deputies. The third man admitted that they had caught the pelican and allegedly then tried to calm the other two men.
According to court documents, the two men continued to scream and “flip off” the deputies.
One of them allegedly began cursing loudly and “causing a disturbance with the families and kids on the rivers edge.” The man then reportedly reached for the deputy’s vest and was taken to the ground by deputies and handcuffed.
The man was booked into the Madison County Jail. If convicted, the man could spend up to six months in prison.