A Canadian man was convicted of animal cruelty charges on Monday for snatching a flamingo named Peachy from its enclosure at an iconic Las Vegas hotel.

Prosecutors said it was a malicious prank while a lawyer for the tourist insisted it was drunken foolishness not meant to harm the bird.

Prosecutors said tourist Mitchell Fairbarn hurt and frightened the 27-year-old Chilean flamingo when he took it from its habitat at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and carried the squawking bird to his room on 3 March. Defense attorney Josh Tomsheck told jurors at trial in a Nevada court that the man deeply regretted the “bad decisions” he made while intoxicated.

After about five hours of deliberations, jurors returned convictions on felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty counts against the Ontario, Canada , man.

Fairbarn remains under house arrest pending a sentencing hearing set for 1 December. He faces up to four years in prison for the felony and possibly six more months for the misdemeanor conviction.…