Environmental Group Urges Investigation Into RFK Jr.’s Handling of Whale Carcass
An environmental advocacy group has called for an official investigation into Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after the resurfacing of a story where his daughter, Kick Kennedy, recounted her father using a chainsaw to remove the head of a dead whale in the 1990s.
The Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, a prominent environmental organization, expressed concerns that Kennedy, a former presidential candidate, may have violated federal laws by transporting a marine mammal skull across state lines. Brett Hartl, the center’s national political director, has urged the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to investigate the matter.
The story, first told by Kick Kennedy in a 2012 interview with Town & Country Magazine, described how RFK Jr. discovered a whale carcass, washed up on Squaw Island in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, around 1994. According to his daughter, Kennedy decapitated the whale with a chainsaw, attached the head to the roof of the family minivan with a bungee cord, and drove it back to their home in Mount Kisco, New York.
The anecdote, while seemingly bizarre, has now raised serious legal questions. Hartl pointed out that under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, it is illegal to possess any part of a protected marine animal without proper authorization. Transporting the skull across state lines could potentially violate the Lacey Act, a federal law that prohibits the transportation of wildlife obtained in violation of any state, federal, or international regulation.
“Normally, an unverified anecdote would not provide sufficient evidence as the basis for conducting an investigation,” Hartl acknowledged. However, he emphasized that Kennedy’s own admissions about other wildlife incidents, including a recent claim that he left a dead bear cub in Central Park, indicate a pattern of behavior that disregards legal protections for wildlife.
As of now, Kennedy’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment regarding the environmental group’s concerns. The incident, while unusual, has received a lot of attention because of Kennedy’s public prominence and the probable legal consequences of his actions.
Kennedy, who recently suspended his independent presidential campaign to support former President Donald Trump, has long been known for his environmental activism. However, these resurfaced stories are now casting a shadow over his environmental legacy. As the situation unfolds, all eyes will be on how the NOAA and other relevant authorities respond to the call for an investigation.
Vanity Fair, NDTV World and Axios contributed to the report.
