Canadian tourist arrested on suspicion of stealing, torturing flamingo in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS — A Canadian tourist in Las Vegas was arrested and accused of stealing and torturing a flamingo at a hotel Tuesday, according to reports.

Mitchell Fairbarn, a 33-year-old man from Ontario, Canada, faced four counts of “torturing, maiming or killing an animal kept for companionship or pleasure,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

The Flamingo hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, true to its name, has multiple flamingos in a habitat on the property. Fairbarn is accused of breaking in and injuring several birds, KLAS reported.

They said security video shows a man enter the habitat around 5 a.m. Tuesday, grab a bird named Peachy and injure other animals in the process. Police told KLAS birds were pinned down and hurt in the process.

The video then shows the man carrying Peachy to a hotel room where police said they found “a large bloody feather” and other material.

Police told KLAS that Fairbarn said he saw a flamingo in distress and “popped” its wing back into place.

“He stated he knows that ‘popping’ the wing back into its place (is) a common practice for birds, such as ducks,” police said. “He has knowledge of his because he is a farm boy.”

Fairbarn was taken to the Clark County Detention Center and held in lieu of $12,000 bail after a Las Vegas judge called his alleged actions “extremely concerning,” the Lawton Constitution reported. 

The hurt animals are recovering with the help of veterinarians, the hotel told KLAS. 

The Flamingo hotel, owned by Caesars Entertainment, homes Chilean flamingos, multiple species of exotic waterfowl, brown pelicans, sturgeon, koi, albino catfish, turtles, local songbirds and native hummingbirds, according to its website.