A Vegas tourist who took Peachy the flamingo to a hotel exhibit is found guilty of animal cruelty.

LAS VEGAS — A jury convicted a Canadian man Monday afternoon of animal cruelty for snatching a pink flamingo named Peachy from its enclosure at an iconic Las Vegas hotel in what prosecutors called a drunken and malicious act.

Prosecutors said tourist Mitchell Fairbarn injured the bird at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino when he took it to his room on March 3. The man’s defense attorney had told jurors during the trial in a Nevada court that the man committed a stupid act while drunk, but did not intend to harm the bird.

Jurors handed down felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty convictions against the tourist from Ontario, Canada. Fairbarn remained in custody awaiting a Dec. 1 sentencing hearing. He faces up to four years in prison for the crime, plus six months in prison for the misdemeanor.

Since then, the 27-year-old Chilean flamingo has been doing well physically, but he is more anxious and nervous during his evaluation, said Peachy’s veterinarian, Tiffany Moore, medical director of Lone Mountain Animal Hospital.

Video played during the trial showed Fairbarn holding the flamingo in an elevator and carrying it down a hotel hallway at the famous hotel. The Flamingo is one of the oldest hotels on the Las Vegas Strip and its well-known flamingo habitat also includes hummingbirds, turtles, koi and other species.

Prosecutors earlier told jurors that Fairbarn deliberately caused physical pain to the bird, noting that feathers were found on the hotel floor. The video showed the bird screaming while Fairbarn handled it, and prosecutors said Peachy felt pain as it was pulled by its legs.

Las Vegas police responded to the scene after security personnel reported that someone had stolen the flamingo. When Peachy was located, he was missing seven to eight feathers, blood on his feathers and wounds on his wings, authorities said.

Taking the bird was “stupid” and “fueled by drunkenness,” defense attorney Josh Tomsheck said. But Tomsheck added that his client never intended to harm the bird, a key part of the criminal charge.

“He shouldn’t have done that, shouldn’t have gone into the habitat, shouldn’t have touched a bird, shouldn’t have taken Peachy inside,” Tomsheck said. “The truth is, Mitch was drunk. Mitch was stupid. He made bad decisions.”

Fairbarn could be seen in court at one point with his head down with his hands covering his eyes.

The man had received death threats after taking the flamingo, and he was unable to leave the United States when his father died while Fairbarn was awaiting trial, Clark County Prosecutor Haley Willming said. While these events were unfortunate, the prosecutor said “none of this would have happened if he hadn’t done what he did, if he hadn’t made the choices he made.”

Jurors began deliberating shortly before noon after presenting closing arguments Monday morning.

Nevada animal rights advocate John Waudby, who recently helped strengthen the state’s animal cruelty laws, said he believes justice has been served on Peachy’s behalf.

“I hope this sends a message to anyone who wants to prey on our animals that you’re not going to do it in Nevada,” he said outside the courtroom after Monday’s verdict.