Southern District of Texas Attorney’s Office
A Texas couple was arrested for allegedly selling a jaguar cub and attempting to sell amargay cub— both listed asendangered species— in a local sporting goods store parking lot.
They are the first to be charged under theBig Cat Public Safety Act, which prohibits the sale of protected wildlife, federal prosecutors said.
According to the criminal complaint, Gutierrez-Galvan had sold a margay cub on Aug. 24 for $7,500 in a local Academy Sports and Outdoors parking lot.
The margay cub federal authorities took possession of.Southern District of Texas Attorney’s Office
Two days later, on Sept. 26, Gutierrez-Galvan attempted to sell a jaguar cub to the same individual, according to the report. He allegedly instructed his wife to bring a case of cash from their residence to the location and it was then that law enforcement conducted a traffic stop before she could arrive and discovered the money.
When federal agents approached Gutierrez-Galvan, according to a report in theLaredo Morning Times, he reportedly stated in Spanish, “I’m just here to sell a cat.”
The Big Cat Act, which was enacted in December 2022, prohibits the importation, transportation, sale and possession of prohibited wildlife species. Additionally, the Endangered Species Act prohibits the importation, exportation, sale and transportation of threatened and endangered species.
TheWorld Animal Protection, US, organization, which helped enact the Big Cat Act, applauded the work authorities did.
“It is devastating to hear stories of big cat cubs being exploited and sold for private possession,” said Cameron Harsh, the organization’s programs director, in a statement to PEOPLE.
“This is exactly what the Big Cat Public Safety Act … is meant to do — bring criminal charges against the individuals perpetrating the trade of big cats in the U.S. and help eliminate this exploitation altogether.”
Harsh said that “thousands of lions, tigers, and other big cats are languishing in small, decrepit cages” and that “some are repeatedly bred to produce a steady supply of cubs who are used and abused for expensive photo ops and likes on social media.”
source: people.com
