A US man jailed as part of a huge investigation into deer poaching has been ordered to repeatedly watch Bambi during his sentence.
David Berry Jr of Brookline, Missouri, must view the 1942 Disney classic at least once a month during his incarceration.
The Missouri Department of Conservation said he was one of a group of poachers, including members of his family, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of deer.
Heads taken
“Conservation investigators estimated that the group was responsible for killing hundreds of deer over a three-year period,” said Lawrence County Prosecuting Attorney Don Trotter.
“The deer were trophy bucks taken illegally, mostly at night, for their heads, leaving the bodies of the deer to waste.”
Berry Jr received a one-year jail sentence on December 6 after pleading guilty to taking wildlife illegally.
He was last week sentenced to an additional 120 days for a felony firearms probation violation.
However according to the Springfield News-Leader, Lawrence County Judge Robert George ordered the bizarre additional punishment for Berry Jr.
Court records show Berry Jr “is to view the Walt Disney movie Bambi, with the first viewing being on or before December 23, 2018, and at least one such viewing each month thereafter, during defendant’s incarceration in the Lawrence County Jail,” reports the News-Leader.
Charges
Investigators filed more than 300 charges against a group of poachers that included Berry Jr, David Berry Sr of Springfield and Kyle Berry of Everton.
Most of the Missouri violations related to the illegal taking of deer.
Most of the deer were trophy-class animals and in many instances, only the heads and antlers were removed.
