Canadian National Arrested Following Bird-Napping Incident at Iconic Habitat

A 33-year-old Canadian man is facing multiple felony counts of animal cruelty following an incident at the Flamingo resort on the Las Vegas Strip early Tuesday morning. Mitchell Fairbarn was arrested after police alleged he illegally entered the resort’s wildlife habitat, captured a flamingo, and took it back to his hotel room. According to the arrest report, investigators discovered videos on the suspect’s cellphone that allegedly showed him mistreating the bird.

Fairbarn appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court on Wednesday, where a judge maintained his bail at $12,000. As a condition of his release, he was ordered to surrender his passport, wear an electronic monitoring device, and stay away from the Las Vegas Strip. The flamingo involved was returned to the habitat, where resort officials stated they are hopeful for its full recovery. The suspect faces four counts of torturing, maiming, or killing an animal kept for companionship or pleasure.

Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal