A court in Los Angeles sentenced a 25-year-old American to 45 days in jail and a year of probation after a video surfaced last year showing him giving alcohol to a small raptor. The young man was charged with animal cruelty and also sentenced to 20 days of community service, according to American media. The court also ordered him to pay a $220 fine and attend a 24-session educational program on animal cruelty. Additionally, he was prohibited from owning any animal for five years. The incident occurred in June 2025, when the young man posted a video on YouTube showing him pouring an alcoholic beverage into the beak of a protected Cooper's hawk in California. Federal law prohibits the capture, possession, or sale of these birds. Furthermore, California legislation also prohibits disturbing or harming them, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
