Hawaii man charged in the killing of 25 federally-protected seagulls in Washington

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Hawaii man accused of intentionally killing 25 seagulls on a beach in Washington state has been identified by authorities as 64-year-old James Travis of East Oahu.

Travis is being charged with a felony for animal cruelty, which comes with possible jail time.

Neighbors of James Travis described him as a “nice” older man with whom they’ve never had any problems or seen any signs of aggression.

They saw police in front of his home earlier in the week and were wondering what it was all about.

Washington state officials say in July, Travis intentionally ran over 25 state-protected seagulls at Klipsan Beach and nearly hit two people walking their dogs.

The investigation, led by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police, interviewed witnesses who stopped the Jeep and took photos.

“Just the report of how recklessly he was driving from multiple people, that he intentionally drove into a flock of gulls, really grabbed our attention,” said Dan Chadwick, a captain with Washington Fish and Wildlife Police.

That evidence is now in the hands of Pacific County prosecutors, who have charged Travis with a Class C Felony for animal cruelty.

In Washington state, the maximum penalty is five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

“Our animal cruelty laws are in place for a reason. There’s a difference between intentionally doing an act like this and accidentally running into something, which many people have done before, and they feel awful about it,” said Chadwick.

HNN has reached out to Travis for comment but has not heard back.

Travis’s neighbors say he runs a construction company.

According to Hawaii court records, he does not have a criminal history.

Pacific County prosecutors say the animal cruelty crime does not require a warrant for his arrest but is possible if he fails to appear in court, which is being scheduled in Washington state.

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