Two Baltimore, Maryland, men are facing charges for allegedly using exotic animals – including snakes, a lemur and a spider monkey – in photoshoots featuring three semi-clothed models and a ring of fire in a garage beneath a luxury shopping complex. Photographer Vernon Crowfey III, the 32-year-old owner of the company Photogeniks, was arrested in Towson, Maryland, […]
Tag: exotic animals
Cuddling capybaras and ogling otters: the problem with animal cafes in Asia
The second floor of an unassuming office building in central Bangkok is a strange place to encounter the world’s largest rodent. Yet here, inside a small enclosure with a shallow pool, three capybaras are at the disposal of dozens of paying customers – all clamouring for a selfie. As people eagerly thrust leafy snacks toward […]
It’s ‘whack-a-mole’: Alarming rise in pet trade fuels wildlife trafficking into California
In October, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at California’s Otay Mesa border crossing noticed an odd bulge inside a man’s pants. Jesse Agus Martinez, a U.S. citizen who lives in Tijuana, repeatedly claimed the bump was “pirrin,” a Spanish word for penis. His history of smuggling birds into the U.S. prompted further examination, […]
Brazil’s largest wildlife trafficking raid rescues hundreds of exotic animals
Brazilian authorities have carried out the country’s biggest-ever operation against wildlife trafficking, arresting 45 people and rescuing more than 700 exotic animals. Among the animals seized were brightly coloured toucans and macaws, boxes of tortoises, monkeys, and even a python. They were transported to a central care facility, where veterinarians examined them—some covered with blankets […]
Texas Wardens Uncover Black-Market Whitetail Breeding Ring that Smuggled ‘Ghost Deer’
During a traffic stop outside Houston earlier this month, Texas game wardens caught two deer breeders trying to move captive whitetails illegally across the state. The men pleaded guilty, and they were convicted of more than 50 deer breeder violations for disobeying the state’s CWD rules and transporting unidentifiable “ghost deer,” which they planned to […]
Florida Man Known as “The Monkey Whisperer” Faces New Charges
A Florida man nicknamed “The Monkey Whisperer” is once again facing legal troubles, this time for allegedly trafficking marmosets. Jimmy Wayne Hammonds, 61, from Parrish, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and wildlife trafficking, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. His brother, Johnny D-Lane Hammonds, […]
Lion Cub Rescued from Lebanon’s Conflict Finds Hope in South Africa
When Sara, a young lion cub, came under the care of Animals Lebanon, she was in a dire state. Her health was failing, and she bore the physical signs of neglect, including a serious ringworm infection. The cub had been used as a social media prop by her owner in Baalbek, Lebanon, despite local laws […]
Montana Man Sentenced for Illegally Breeding Hybrid Sheep for Trophy Hunting
An 81-year-old man from Montana has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for his role in creating hybrid sheep for trophy hunting. Arthur “Jack” Schubarth of Vaughn, Montana, was found guilty of using tissue and testicles from Marco Polo sheep hunted in Central Asia and the United States to breed hybrid animals on […]