Received the latest issue of the TRAFFIC Bulletin (Vol. 21 No.2) the other day, the journal of the TRAFFIC Network, a joint program of WWF and IUCN that monitors trade in Wildlife and wildlife products.
Usually there is not much on reptiles and amphibians, and this issue is no different. An article on Wildlife Trade on the Chinese-language internet identified 27 sites in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan that sell live animals on-line – 279 species of reptile were listed.
Most herp discussions are in relation to seizures of animals being smuggled around the world. For those of you that are interested, here are some highlights:
HIx
Usually there is not much on reptiles and amphibians, and this issue is no different. An article on Wildlife Trade on the Chinese-language internet identified 27 sites in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan that sell live animals on-line – 279 species of reptile were listed.
Most herp discussions are in relation to seizures of animals being smuggled around the world. For those of you that are interested, here are some highlights:
- 175 Chameleons intercepted being smuggled into Croatia from Madagascar (half were dead);
- 171 Radiated, Leopard and Pancake Tortoises being smuggled into Hungary;
- a Chinese man was caught trying to smuggle a gavial, six pythons/boas and 46 turtles and tortoises into Hong Kong – he was sentenced to six months jail the next day;
- Taiwan intercepted a shipment of 302 Hundred Pace Viper skins being smuggled in from China.
- Two men in India responsible for the attempted smuggling of 1866 Indian Star Tortoises out of India during 2005 and 2006 have been arrested by the Indian wildlife officials. The surviving tortoises were released in National Parks.
- In October last year 5000 Water Monitors were seized from smugglers in Malaysia, and the following month the Malaysian Officials seized thousands of Cobras, Pythons and pangolins believed to have been smuggled in from Thailand and Indonesia
- In December 2006, Malaysian Customs officers intercepted a shipment of reptiles destined for the restaurant trade in a neighbouring country. The shipment consisted of 444 snakes (mainly cobras), 2488 Bengal Monitors, and more than 1900 tortoises.
- In March this year s skipper and crew of a Chinese trawler were apprehended with 274 marine turtles (Green and Hawksbill) they had poached. They were later fined USD55,000 in Kota Kinabalu Magistrates Court.
- Officials in Thailand seized more than 200 Siamese Crocodiles being smuggled across the border to a crocodile farm. This species is almost extinct in the wild.
- In January 2007 and American was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release for having in his possession 481 sea turtle eggs. He had been seen digging up at least four Loggerhead nests before being apprehended. He has three previous federal convictions and four previous state convictions, all relating to the illegal taking of sea turtle eggs.
HIx
