In brief
Mitchell Fairbarn, a 34‑year‑old Canadian, was found guilty of animal cruelty after stealing the Chilean flamingo Peachy from the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino during a drunken binge. Video of him gripping the bird by the neck and taking the elevator to his hotel room was admitted as evidence. A jury convicted him of felony and misdemeanor animal‑abuse charges, sentencing him to nearly five years behind bars, while the bird has largely recovered but remains wary of humans.
A Canadian man has been found guilty of animal cruelty after he took a flamingo from its enclosure in Las Vegas and brought it back to his hotel room during an alcohol‑fuelled bender.
Mitchell Fairbarn, who was visiting the U.S. city, snatched the Chilean flamingo named Peachy from the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in March.
Video shown at his trial showed Fairbarn smiling while carrying the bird by the neck as he took an elevator to his room. He claimed he had drunk 30 to 40 beers before the incident and never intended to harm the animal.
Animal experts testified that the flamingo had feathers torn out and suffered blood loss due to Fairbarn's actions.
Fairbarn defended his conduct as a harmless prank, blaming alcohol for his “bad decisions”. He faces nearly five years in prison.
The Flamingo Las Vegas complex features a free‑to‑walk wildlife habitat along the Strip, containing Chilean flamingos, other birds, fish and turtles.
During the trial, the jury heard from 14 witnesses and reviewed more than 112 pieces of evidence. It took roughly five hours to convict him on felony and misdemeanour animal‑abuse charges.
Fairbarn has been unable to leave the U.S. since his arrest. He remains on house arrest in Las Vegas with a sentencing hearing scheduled for December.
A state veterinarian reported that Peachy has largely recovered but now displays a more anxious demeanor around humans.
