Did RFK Jr. cut off a dead whale's head? Environmental group calls for investigation

An environmental group is calling for a government investigation into the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. case after an unusual incident involving a dead whale came to light. The controversy was sparked by an old interview with Kennedy's daughter that recently resurfaced.

Kick Kennedy revealed in a 2012 interview with Town & Country Magazine that her father, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., used a chainsaw to remove the head of a dead whale that had washed ashore near their home in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, around 1994. The whale's head was then brought back to their New York City residence on the roof of their minivan.

Kick Kennedy described the scene: “Every time we accelerated on the highway, whale juice would run into the windows of the car, and it was the most disgusting thing in the world.” She said that the family carried plastic bags with mouth holes cut out to endure the smell, and that people on the highway would give us the middle finger, but that was just normal everyday life for us.”

The Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund has called on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to investigate the incident. They argue that possession of any body part of a marine mammal, whether alive or dead, could violate the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.

Brett Hartl, national policy director for the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, said in the letter: “There are good reasons why it is illegal for any person to collect or retain parts of an endangered species.”

This call for an investigation comes shortly after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his independent presidential campaign. His campaign was marked by a series of unusual events, including his admission that he once dumped a dead bear in New York's Central Park. Now Kennedy is endorsing Donald Trump for president and has reportedly been offered a role on Trump's transition team should he win the election.

(With contributions from agencies)