Man gets 4 years in prison for harassing monk seal

HONOLULU (AP) — A judge on Wednesday sentenced a Hawaii man to four years in prison for harassing a pregnant Hawaiian monk seal.

Hawaiian monk seals are among the world’s most critically endangered marine mammals. There are about 1,400 in the wild.

Shylo Kaena Akuna harassed the seal in April 2016 at Kauai’s Salt Pond Beach Park, said Kauai Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar.

KHON-TV reported previously that bystanders recorded video showing a man wading into the water, swinging at the endangered animal and possibly throwing sand at it.

“Akuna was apparently highly intoxicated at the time,” Kollar said in a statement.