RFK Jr. Drove 5 Hours to Cut Off a Whale’s Head—And Other Bizarre Animal Stories

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is one whale of an environmentalist. 

A wild story recently resurfaced about RFK Jr., where he shamelessly cuts off a dead whale’s head for his own research and enjoyment. Now, environmental groups are calling for an investigation to determine whether he violated federal laws that protect wildlife.

New Wrinkles in the Whale Story

Around 1994, RFK Jr. heard that a dead whale had washed up on the shore in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Immediately, he headed five hours north to the scene with a chainsaw—and his then 6-year-old daughter, Kick, who recounted the tale for Town & Country in 2012.

RFK Jr., who reportedly enjoys studying animal skulls and skeletons, sawed off the dead whale’s head at the beach. Using bungee cords, he secured it to the roof of his family minivan and casually headed back down to his home in Mount Kisco, New York. 

“Every time we accelerated on the highway, whale juice would pour into the windows of the car, and it was the rankest thing on the planet,” Kick said. “We all had plastic bags over our heads with mouth holes cut out, and people on the highway were giving us the finger, but that was just normal day-to-day stuff for us.”

A Call for an Investigation

The story started circulating on social media over the weekend after reports that Kick had been hanging with recently divorced Ben Affleck. Although, her father suspending his presidential campaign and endorsing former President Donald Trump might have something to do with it, too.

However, after catching wind of this story, the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, an environmental conservation group (and an endorser of Kamala Harris), is calling for the government to open an investigation into Kennedy’s alleged violations. 

“There are good reasons why it is illegal for any person to collect or keep parts of any endangered species,” stated Brett Hartl, national political director for the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund. “Most importantly, vital research opportunities are lost when individuals scavenge a wildlife carcass and interfere with the work of scientists. This is particularly true of marine mammals, which are some of the most difficult wildlife species in the world to study.”

RFK Jr.’s Additional Animal Run-Ins

The whale story is just one of many animal-related anecdotes involving RFK Jr. 

For one, the political once alleged that a parasite ate part of his brain, leading to his previously undisclosed health issues. 

Perhaps an even more alarming story stemmed from a photo of the presidential candidate holding what appeared to be a BBQed dog carcass. RFK Jr. apparently texted the photo to a friend last year. Once it surfaced online, a veterinarian claimed the animal was, in fact, a dog. However, Kennedy denied the notion.

“[The photo is] of me at a campfire in Patagonia on the Futaleufu River, eating a goat, which is what we eat down there,” he told Fox News.

And, of course, we have this confirmed animal anecdote straight from the source—when RFK Jr. admitted he planted a dead bear cub in a New York City park. For what reason, exactly? 

“We thought it would be amusing for whoever found it or something,” Kennedy said. He added that he wanted it to make it seem like the bear got hit by a bike. The entire story was a mystery at the time, making headlines and apparently even leading to an investigation.

Looking forward to seeing how you spin this one, @NewYorker… pic.twitter.com/G13taEGzba

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 4, 2024

Some of these…unique…stories may have contributed to the demise of RFK’s campaign.The whale story is just one of many animal-related anecdotes involving RFK Jr., involving a parasitic worm, an alleged BBQed dog, and a dead bear cub planted in a New York City park. Some of these…unique…stories may have contributed to the demise of RFK’s campaign.