A Canadian tourist accused of removing a flamingo from a Las Vegas Strip hotel said he had “no malicious intent,” calling the incident a drunken prank after drinking an estimated 30 to 40 beers.
Mitchell Fairbairn, 34, testified in his own defense Friday as his trial continued over the alleged theft and mistreatment of Peachy, a Chilean flamingo from the wildlife habitat at Flamingo Las Vegas.
When his lawyer asked whether he had ever meant to harm the bird, Fairbairn replied, “No.” He also denied intending to kill Peachy.
Under cross-examination, however, the Ontario businessman acknowledged that surveillance video of the encounter “doesn’t look good” and accepted that Peachy was injured.
“I’m taking responsibility,” Fairbairn told the court, although he said he had “no idea” how the flamingo lost some of its feathers.
Fairbairn, who is married and has three children, said he traveled to Las Vegas for ConExpo, an international construction trade show, after being asked to represent Canada. He told jurors that his upbringing on farms had taught him how to handle animals.
He said he owns dogs and a parrot named Sonny, and has previously rescued an abandoned llama and six ducks.
Fairbairn also said he had hesitated over the Nevada trip after his father was diagnosed with cancer in December 2025. He told the court he had been “on the fence about coming at all.”
Mitchell Fairbairn, 34, testified in his animal cruelty trial and repeatedly denied intending to harm Peachy the flamingo after carrying the bird to his hotel room on March 3
The Ontario businessman said he drank between 30 and 40 beers before entering the Flamingo hotel’s wildlife habitat at about 5 a.m. and allegedly taking a flamingo
Fairbairn admitted that the bird was injured but said he did not know how it lost its feathers. The alleged incident occurred at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino
CCTV footage appears to show Fairbairn shirtless and grappling with the bird by its neck and legs
He testified that he spent March 2 drinking and gambling, estimating that he had consumed 30 to 40 beers before arriving at the Flamingo’s wildlife habitat at around 5 a.m. the following day.
Fairbairn said he was intoxicated, exhausted and speaking on the phone when he entered the enclosure after noticing a bird whose wings appeared uneven. He acknowledged that he should not have gone inside.
According to his testimony, he initially sat beside another flamingo before picking up Peachy to take a photograph as part of what he described as a “silly pranky joke.”
He said Peachy stayed in his hotel room for “two or three minutes” before he put the bird in the hallway. Fairbairn told the court that police arrested him as he changed clothes and prepared to return the flamingo.
Jurors questioned his explanation for entering the habitat, including his claim that he could tell the bird’s wings were uneven while the flamingos were resting.
Fairbairn responded that, from where he was standing, one wing appeared higher than the other. He also agreed that a flamingo sleeping with its head tucked beneath its wings could look as though its wings were uneven.
Asked whether he had seen blood or any indication of an injury on his shirt or the wall while handling Peachy, he answered, “No.” He continued to maintain that he saw nothing wrong with the bird when he removed it from the enclosure.
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Fairbairn confirmed that he carried the flamingo through bushes as he left the habitat. He said he took off his shirt and wrapped it around the bird to avoid frightening the other flamingos.
Police said they later found a ‘large bloody feather’ while animal control claims Peachy has suffered a wing injury due to the wing being ‘pulled’ from its body
He admitted the bird was hurt but insisted he did not know how it lost its feathers. Closing arguments are expected on Monday before the jury begins deliberations
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In another exchange, a juror asked what Fairbairn would expect police to do if someone entered his farm and injured one of his animals.
He said he would expect a proper investigation to establish whether the person who took the animal was responsible for harming it.
Asked whether being intoxicated excused hurting a person or an animal, he replied: ‘No.’
Fairbairn also said he had been on house arrest since the incident and had been unable to return to Canada.
The case stems from the March 3 incident, when police allege Fairbairn entered the hotel’s wildlife habitat and removed Peachy. Investigators previously said surveillance footage showed him carrying the flamingo through the hotel wrapped in a shirt.
The tourist later admitted to trespassing into the flamingo habitat after seeing a bird in distress, and claimed that he had ‘popped’ the animal’s wing into place.
Police said: ‘He stated he knows that ‘popping’ the wing back into its place [is] a common practice for birds, such as ducks. He has knowledge of his because he is a farm boy.’
Police also alleged that photographs and videos recovered from his phone showed him aggressively choking the bird and throwing it to the floor. In one clip, he reportedly laughed while saying he was ‘taking the bird home’.
Investigators said they found a ‘large bloody feather’ in his hotel room, while animal control officials reported that Peachy suffered a wing injury requiring stitches. Authorities also alleged that other birds were injured during the incident.
Fairbairn faces four felony counts relating to the alleged torture, maiming or killing of animals kept for companionship or pleasure. The allegations have yet to be resolved by the jury.
Caesars Entertainment, which owns the Flamingo hotel, previously described the incident as ‘deeply distressing’, saying Peachy and the other birds were receiving care from veterinarians and the hotel’s animal care team.
The trial is due to resume on Monday morning, when lawyers will deliver closing arguments before jurors begin deliberating.