A man in Las Vegas is facing charges of animal cruelty after allegedly injuring a flamingo during a break-in at a hotel. Mitchell Fairbarn, a Canadian resident, was arrested at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in the early hours of Tuesday on suspicion of multiple counts of animal abuse. The incident, which occurred around 6 am, involved Fairbarn entering the flamingo habitat and causing harm to several birds, including a Chilean flamingo named ‘Peachy.’
Fairbarn, 33, from Ontario, is now charged with four felony counts of animal abuse. Surveillance footage captured him entering the flamingo habitat at 5 am, grabbing ‘Peachy,’ and causing injuries to other birds as he attempted to remove them. He was seen carrying a bird wrapped in a shirt to his room, where he was recorded laughing and mentioning taking the bird home.
Fairbarn claimed he entered the enclosure to assist a distressed flamingo, attempting to fix its wing despite warning signs against public access. However, the flamingo named Peachy suffered a wing injury that required stitches, along with two other flamingos in the habitat.
Authorities found incriminating evidence, including a bloody feather, in Fairbarn’s hotel room. He was charged with severely injuring a federally protected migratory species. Additionally, his cellphone contained videos of him mistreating a flamingo, leading to further charges of animal torture.
Fairbarn is set to appear in court on March 9 after posting bail. Caesars Entertainment Corp., the owner of the hotel, expressed deep concern over the incident and assured that the affected birds, including Peachy, are receiving care from veterinarians for their recovery.
