Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, faces charges of harassing endangered Hawaiian monk seals on Maui, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
HONOLULU – A tourist in Hawaii has been widely condemned after a witness recorded him throwing a coconut-sized rock at a “lani”, a beloved endangered animal. Hawaiian monk seal He is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Thursday.
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, is charged with molesting a protected animal, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Honolulu said, adding that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agents arrested him Wednesday near Seattle.
No attorney was listed in court records, and a person who answered a call at a number associated with Litvinchuk declined to comment.
State Department of Land and Natural Resources officials last week investigated a report of Hawaiian monk seal harassment in Lahaina, which has largely devastated the community. Deadly Wildfires of 2023. A witness showed police video of the seal swimming in shallow water as a man watched from the shore.
“In the cellphone video, the man can be seen holding a large rock in one hand, aiming it and throwing it directly at the monk seal,” prosecutors said in a criminal complaint.
The rock, which witnesses described as being the size of a coconut, narrowly missed hitting the seal in the head but caused “a sudden change in the animal’s behavior,” the complaint states.
When a witness confronted the man, he said “he didn’t care and was ‘rich’ enough to pay any fine,” the complaint states.
Maui County Mayor Richard Beason said the charges send a clear message that cruelty to protected wildlife will not be tolerated. He said Lani’s return after the wildfires brought a sense of healing and hope during difficult times.
“Lani is a reminder that humanity and the instinct to protect the vulnerable remain values around which people can rally,” Beeson said in an emailed statement.
The mayor said he called the U.S. attorney in Honolulu to advocate for prosecution.
Litvinchuk is accused of harassing and attempting to harass endangered Hawaiian monk seals.
Hawaiian monk seals are a critically endangered species. Only 1,600 remain in the wild.
If convicted, Litvinchuk faces up to one year in prison on each charge. He also faces fines of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
