Pelican abuser booked into Keys jail

The Riva, Maryland man who abused a protected pelican in the Florida Keys last month was booked into the Key West jail Monday night.

The Maryland State Police notified the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on March 15 that they arrested William Hunter Hardesty, 31, on a warrant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that charges him with one count of intentional feeding of pelicans, two counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and two counts of animal cruelty.

The Maryland State Police told the Sheriff’s Office that MSP Troopers arrested Hardesty shortly after 9:00 a.m. on March 15 at a hotel in Ocean City, Maryland.

Hardesty was booked into the Key West jail at 11:09 p.m. and will now face the FWC charges in Key West.

Hardesty can be seen in a viral Internet video posted last month jumping on a state and federally protected pelican in the Florida Keys. Key West was tagged as the location of the video on social media. The video shows Hardesty with a fish appearing to lure a pelican near him as he stands on a dock. Hardesty then leaps directly on top of the bird and into the water. Hardesty surfaces holding the bird with two hands. The bird then snaps at Hardesty’s face with its bill, the Hardesty loosens his grip and the bird flies away.

Sheriff Rick Ramsay received multiple tips from citizens and residents in and out of the Florida Keys since the video went viral on the Internet. Sheriff Ramsay immediately shared the tips with the FWC and other law enforcement partners.

Hardesty remained in jail Tuesday morning on $80,000 bail.

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