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Las Vegas tourist found guilty of harming flamingo at iconic hotel in drunken encounter caught on video

A Canadian tourist who took a flamingo from its habitat at a popular Las Vegas Strip hotel and carried it through the property was found guilty Monday of animal cruelty after prosecutors argued the bird was injured during the bizarre encounter.

Mitchell Fairbarn, of Ontario, Canada, was convicted of felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges after jurors deliberated for about five hours.

The case stemmed from a March 3 incident at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, where Fairbarn removed a 27-year-old Chilean flamingo named Peachy from its enclosure and brought the bird to his hotel room.

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Surveillance footage presented during the trial showed Fairbarn holding the flamingo inside an elevator and carrying it through a hotel hallway as the bird squawked.

Prosecutors argued Fairbarn deliberately caused the bird pain, pointing to footage of him pulling Peachy by its feet and feathers found on the hotel floor.

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Las Vegas police were called after hotel security reported the flamingo missing from its enclosure.

When authorities found Peachy, the flamingo was missing seven or eight feathers, had blood on its feathers and suffered injuries to its wings.

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Fairbarn's defense attorney, Josh Tomsheck, acknowledged his client made poor decisions while intoxicated but argued he never intended to injure the animal.

"He should not have done that, should not have gone into the habitat, shouldn't have touched a bird, shouldn't have taken Peachy inside," Tomsheck told jurors. "The truth is, Mitch was drunk. Mitch was stupid. He made bad decisions."

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Peachy is doing well physically but remains more anxious during veterinary examinations, according to Tiffany Moore, medical director of Lone Mountain Animal Hospital, who treated the bird.

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Fairbarn remains under house arrest as he awaits sentencing on Dec. 1.

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He faces up to four years in prison on the felony conviction and an additional six months for the misdemeanor offense.

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During the trial, prosecutors acknowledged Fairbarn had received death threats following the incident and was unable to return to Canada when his father died while the criminal case was pending.

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Clark County prosecutor Haley Willming argued those consequences resulted from his own actions.

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"None of that would have happened had he not done what he did, had he not made the choices he made," Willming said.

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The Flamingo Las Vegas, one of the Strip's oldest resorts, is known for its wildlife habitat, which houses flamingos, turtles, koi fish and other animals.

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‘Bad decisions’: Man convicted for taking Peachy the flamingo from Las Vegas hotel

Mitchell Fairbarn found guilty of animal cruelty after prosecutors say he hurt and frightened the 27-year-old bird

A Canadian man was convicted of animal cruelty charges on Monday for snatching a flamingo named Peachy from its enclosure at an iconic Las Vegas hotel.

Prosecutors said it was a malicious prank while a lawyer for the tourist insisted it was drunken foolishness not meant to harm the bird.

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© Photograph: LVMPD

© Photograph: LVMPD

© Photograph: LVMPD

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Cause of death released for 3 who perished at Burning Man festival in Nevada

Officials have disclosed the causes of death for three festivalgoers at this year's Burning Man event in Nevada, weeks after the annual gathering was rocked by multiple fatalities.

The causes of death ranged from cardiovascular disease to drug toxicity, according to local outlet KOLO 8 News, citing information from the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner's Office.

Burning Man, held annually in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, ran from Aug. 30 through Sept. 7 this year, with all three deaths occurring during the festival.

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One man, 62, of Santa Monica, California, was pronounced dead at the festival's Rampart Medical Center on Sept. 3 after suddenly collapsing, KOLO 8 reported.

His cause of death was determined to be hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Another man, 51, of Truckee, California, died in an ambulance on Sept. 4 after experiencing chest pain at the festival. 

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His death was linked to methamphetamine and MDMA toxicity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, with chronic methamphetamine use also contributing, the same outlet said.

A third man, age 60, of Yuma, Arizona, was found dead in his vehicle.

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He was later determined to have died from cocaine and methamphetamine toxicity, with cardiovascular disease contributing, according to KOLO 8.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner's Office for additional information.

The festival draws tens of thousands of participants who gather to build a temporary city known as Black Rock City.

The festival emphasizes communal effort, self-reliance and self-expression, according to the organization. 

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The event culminates in the burning of a massive wooden effigy known as "the Man."

In a statement earlier in September, Burning Man organizers expressed condolences to the families of those who died and said the three deaths initially appeared to be from natural causes.

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"The deaths of three Burning Man participants in 2026 all appear to be from natural causes, but we defer to the medical examiner for official determinations," the organization said.

"We encourage and ask that people focus on the contributions of the individuals lost and avoid speculation about the circumstances of their passing out of respect for the participants and their families."

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Fox News Digital reached out to Burning Man for additional comment.

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