BIG PINE KEY, Fla. – A convicted felon from Big Pine Key is dealing with prison fees after government stated he lured more than one endangered Key deer into his house by means of feeding them — and posted pictures and movies of all of it on-line.
Officials arrested Thomas Geatal Scancarelli, 61, on Tuesday and booked him into the Monroe County prison on misdemeanor fees of taking an endangered species and feeding a Key deer by means of hand. State records display he’s been on probation for more than one prison drug convictions for the reason that summer season of 2023.
According to an arrest warrant, in January, a member of the general public despatched a web based tip to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission urging officials to try Scancarelli’s Facebook web page, announcing that he was once “(a)llowing and luring Key deer into his house and tormenting and feeding them while inside the house.”
Authorities started investigating quickly after, the warrant states, and located 16 movies of Scancarelli with Key deer each out and in of his space; they display him feeding the endangered ruminants apples, avocados, oranges and cheese slices.
In one Facebook post, on Jan. 3, Scancarelli talks about “training female deer to perform tricks,” the warrant states. The connected video displays Scancarelli feeding the deer an orange slice.
“I walked this little sweetheart into the crib to perform stupid animal tricks,” officers stated he wrote partially. “And Princess didn’t disappoint.”
A Jan. 10 post, captioned “feeling amused,” displays two deer in his place of abode on Coral Way, government stated.
“On tonight’s episode of ‘Oh Deer’. The kids were mis- behaving as always. There’s a deer in the garage, one in my bedroom, one by the sofa, Jesus, I’m just trying to find the bottle of Titos, and I’m dealing with this furry s— show,” the post reads, in step with the warrant.
A Jan. 12 video, during which Scancarelli declares himself to be a imaginable “deer whisper(er),” displays him feeding a deer inside of his house, the warrant states.
“It’s watching Fox News with me now,” government stated he posted. “Can’t make this s— up.”
Additionally, the warrant states a November video confirmed him feeding chickens in a Winn-Dixie car parking zone and announcing, “I am sure all this s— is illegal, f— em.”
While Scancarelli allegedly posted that it was once “pretty cool” to have the deer “as friends,” FWC investigators stated within the warrant that feeding the endangered animals is rather damaging and unlawful.
“Scancarelli has caused significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering,” the investigator wrote.
The FWC states on its web site that feeding the deer is damaging essentially as it “lessens fear of humans.”
“Key deer can be found foraging in yards and on roadsides, where they approach people and slow-moving vehicles for handouts,” the company says. “Getting hit by vehicles is now the primary cause of Key deer mortality. Illegal feeding also causes a concentration of Key deer populations, facilitating the spread of parasites and disease.”
According to Monroe County Sheriff’s Office data, he remained held within the Key West prison facility on a $32,000 bond as of Thursday afternoon.
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