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Rafael Gutierrez-Galvan, 29, and his spouse Deyanira Garza, 28, made their preliminary appearances in federal courtroom in McAllen on September twenty seventh. According to the prison criticism, Gutierrez-Galvan bought a margay cub on August twenty fourth for $7,500 in a neighborhood Academy Sports and Outdoors car parking zone.
On September twenty sixth, Gutierrez-Galvan then tried to promote a jaguar cub to the identical particular person. He allegedly instructed his spouse to carry money from their residence to the situation. However, regulation enforcement carried out a visitors cease earlier than she might arrive and found the money.
Authorities fortunately recovered each wild animals. The Endangered Species Act prohibits the importation, exportation, sale, and transportation of threatened and endangered species. Jaguars are listed as an endangered species.
If convicted, Gutierrez-Galvan and Garza withstand 5 years in federal jail and a attainable $20,000 most fantastic.
“Thanks to the Big Cat Public Safety Act and federal wildlife protections, these imperiled animals have been spared from the dangerous and inhumane exotic pet trade,” mentioned Carson Barylak, coverage marketing campaign supervisor for International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). “Through our rescue work, IFAW and our sanctuary partners have seen time and again how brutal a life captive big cats and other wild species face when left in unqualified hands. We applaud enforcement officials for reaching this important milestone to protect wildlife and people alike.”
The Big Cat Public Safety Act was signed into law in late 2022, in a historic step towards safeguarding captive large cats nationwide. This measure prohibits the non-public possession of tigers, lions, leopards, and different large cats as “pets,” whereas additionally limiting harmful contact between members of the general public and these apex predators.
Prior to BCPSA’s historic enactment, the U.S. commerce in captive large cats was largely unregulated, making it unimaginable to know simply what number of of those animals have been held captive in backyards, basements, and personal menageries. Tigers, lions, and different large cats are sometimes denied correct veterinary care, vitamin, enrichment, and area in such circumstances. The BCPSA has made captive wildlife and communities safer by reining within the lethal commerce in these iconic species.
With solely an estimated 173,000 jaguars remaining within the wild, they’re thought-about close to threatened by the IUCN and are listed as endangered beneath the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Effective enforcement of the BCPSA will assist to guard captive jaguars and different large cat species whereas safeguarding their wild counterparts.
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