Natural History Wanderings

Center for Biological Diversity News Release

$15,000 Reward for Men Who Vandalized Death Valley, Caused Death of Rare Pupfish

LOS ANGELES— The Center for Biological Diversity today tripled the reward to $15,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case of three men whose drunken spree led to the death of a tiny endangered fish in Death Valley National Park on April 30.

Suspects in an April 30 vandalism incident in Death Valley National Park. This photo is from National Park Service surveillance video.

“Devil’s Hole pupfish have been teetering on the brink of extinction for years. The last thing they need are these idiots running amok in the last place on Earth where they still survive,” said Ileene Anderson, a senior scientist with the Center. “We hope this additional reward prompts anyone with knowledge of the crime to come forward so that this offense can be fully prosecuted.”

According to news reports, three men in at least one off-highway vehicle drove around a security gate at Devil’s Hole in Death Valley National Park, fired a gun, and skinny-dipped in a pool that is home to about 100 endangered Devil’s Hole pupfish, which are the last of their kind and live nowhere else on Earth. One of the tiny fish, which measure about one-and-a-half inches long, was found dead.

The men also left behind beer cans, vomit and boxer shorts, according to National Park Service surveillance footage.

The Park Service initially offered a $5,000 reward for the capture of the three men.

Anyone with details of the incident should call the park service’s Investigative Service Branch at (888) 653-0009.