A topless man who captured a “beloved” flamingo from a Las Vegas hotel and carried it up to his room on the 14th floor has been arrested and ordered to remain in the city.
Mitchell Fairbarn, 33, of Ontario, Canada, said he was drunk and had been meaning to help a bird that he believed had a dislocated wing.
Security cameras show the suspect leaping over a fence into the Flamingo Hotel and Casino’s outdoor wildlife enclosure in the early hours of March 3.
According to police and a series of increasingly alarmed 911 calls, Fairbairn was in the enclosure for eight minutes before emerging with one of the birds.
Hotel security told dispatchers that a man had “damaged the flamingos” and was then seen carrying one down the 14th-floor hallway towards his room.
“Basically, it started at 5:20, we got a phone call,” one employee told FOX5. “And they said that someone was carrying a flamingo down the hall.”
A second caller, sounding no less bewildered, added: “He stole one of the flamingo birds. It’s kind of serious stuff.”
Fairbarn could reportedly be heard laughing in the videos and saying: “I’m taking it home.” The flamingo could be heard screeching, police said, KLAS reported.
Security footage showed Fairbarn grabbing one flamingo by the legs, pulling it to the ground and holding it as it struggled.
He then carried off a bird named Peachy, transporting it up his hotel room, taking the lift, and walking it down the corridor.
When officers arrived, Fairbarn admitted he had seen the posted warnings reading “No Trespassing,” “No Feeding or Touching the Flamingos,” and “No Getting in the Water”, but explained that he was drunk and believed he was helping the bird by attempting to “pop” its wing back into place, adding that he was a farm boy and wanted to do a good deed.
Hotel staff reported that one flamingo was missing and two others were seriously injured.
Fairbarn faces four counts of willful and malicious torture of an animal.
After posting bail, he appeared before a judge who imposed a set of conditions, including that Fairbarn must remain in Las Vegas, wear an ankle monitor, surrender his passport, avoid possessing any animals, and stay away from the Strip.
He is due back in court on May 6.
The Flamingo Hotel said its “beloved birds, including Peachy,” are being treated by veterinarians and the resort’s animal care team. “We remain hopeful they will make a full recovery,” the hotel said.
