Sea otters found dead in California with gunshot wounds

Sea otters are excellent parents, friends to their ecosystems, and just generally adorable, so why anyone would want to shoot one is rather confounding.

Nonetheless, in August, three of the animals washed up on the shores of southern California, reports BuzzFeed News.

All showed evidence of being struck by gunfire, and it is believed that is what caused their deaths.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating the case.

See photos of sea otters below:

According to the Washington Post, they are also giving at least $10,000 in exchange for information leading to the capture of the person or persons responsible for the deaths.

Sea otters are classified as a threatened species and as such are protected by law, notes the Christian Science Monitor.

People who kill them are subject to a fine of up to $100,000 and possible time behind bars.