VIDEO PETA posts $16,000 reward for arrest of Grand Canyon squirrel-kicking culprit

A video of a man callously luring and then kicking a squirrel off the edge of the Grand Canyon has garnered such an outcry that PETA has now put out a large cash reward for the identification and arrest of the man responsible.

YouTube user Jonathan Hildebrand posted the brief footage that went viral and was later removed by the video posting site. He explained:

“I was at the Grand Canyon. I was only a witness. I did not realize what was happening until it was too late. I do not know who they are. All I know is that they were french. They booked it out of there before I could comprehend the situation.”

Park officials are investigating the incident but don’t hold out much hope of ever finding the culprit. Grand Canyon Chief Ranger Bill Wright said rangers likely would not pursue animal cruelty under a state statute because it would require them to locate the squirrel and prove it was injured or dead.

Here’s a news report filed by ABC15 out of Arizona that features the disturbing footage. Warning: content may be disturbing to some viewers:

PETA is offering a $16,000 reward for the identification of the man. The organization’s UK spokesperson Ben Williamson said, “It is imperative that any community faced with a sadistic and violent act such as this take measures to find the culprit or culprits and bring them to justice. Animal abusers are a danger to everyone – they take their issues out on whomever is available to them, human or non-human, and must be caught before they act again.”