In Hawaii, a tourist from the former Soviet Union threw a rock at the head of a rare seal: the man faces imprisonment.

Igor Litvinchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, is accused of stalking a protected animal, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Honolulu. More details on the case can be found at CBS News.

Federal agents arrested a tourist on May 13 after he threw a rock at Lani, a beloved Hawaiian monk seal, off the coast of Maui.

Last week, a state Department of Land and Natural Resources officer investigated a report of harassment of a Hawaiian monk seal in Lahaina, a community severely damaged by a wildfire in 2023. The violation was confirmed by a bystander's video. The footage captured the seal swimming in shallow water while a man watched from the shore.

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A large stone—the size of a coconut—is visible in the man's hand. He takes aim and throws it directly at the monk seal, according to the criminal complaint. The stone narrowly misses the animal's head, but it causes it to abruptly change its behavior.

When a witness reprimanded the man, he replied that he didn't care because he was "rich enough to pay any fines."

Igor Litvinchuk is now charged with harassing a protected animal, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Honolulu. They clarified that he was detained near Seattle by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officers. He was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle on May 14.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said the charges send a clear message: cruelty to protected wildlife is unacceptable. He said Lani's return after the fires has become a symbol of recovery and hope for local residents.

"Lani reminds us that humanity and the desire to protect the vulnerable remain values ​​that unite people," the mayor noted.

Bissen contacted the U.S. attorney in Honolulu to support the criminal case.

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The Hawaiian monk seal is an endangered species, with approximately 1600 individuals remaining in the wild.

If convicted, Litvinchuk faces up to one year in prison on each count. He could also be fined up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

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