‘Bad decisions’: Man convicted for taking Peachy the flamingo from Las Vegas hotel

Canadian man convicted of animal cruelty for taking flamingo from Las Vegas hotel

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A Canadian man, Mitchell Fairbarn, has been convicted of animal cruelty charges for snatching a flamingo named Peachy from its enclosure at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.

Prosecutors said Fairbarn hurt and frightened the 27-year-old Chilean flamingo when he took it from its habitat and carried the squawking bird to his room on 3 March.

Defense attorney Josh Tomsheck told jurors that the man deeply regretted the 'bad decisions' he made while intoxicated, but prosecutors said Fairbarn willfully caused the bird physical pain.

Video played at the trial showed Fairbarn holding the flamingo in an elevator and carrying it down a hotel hallway, and prosecutors said Peachy felt pain when it was pulled by its feet.

The Flamingo is one of the oldest hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, and its well-known flamingo habitat also features hummingbirds, turtles, koi and other species.

Peachy was missing some feathers after being taken, and Las Vegas police responded to the scene after security staff reported that someone had taken the flamingo.

Fairbarn remains under house arrest pending a sentencing hearing set for 1 December, and he faces up to four years in prison for the felony and possibly six more months for the misdemeanor conviction.