“Frankenstein” taxidermist sentenced to 20 months

Enrique Gomez De Molina used parts of endangered birds and other animals to create bizarre “Frankenstein” hybrids  © DOJ

 

Washington, USA, 2nd March 2012–A taxidermist based in Miami Beach, Florida, has been sentenced to 20 months in jail for his role in trafficking endangered wildlife.

Between late 2009 and February 2011, Enrique Gomez De Molina had attempted to import a range of wildlife species into the US without the required permits.

He used the parts to create bizarre “Frankenstein” hybrids he sold as art.

The wildlife included a wide range of species including skins of kingfishers, birds-of-paradise, skulls of babirusa and orangutans, a King Cobra, a pangolin and hornbills.

After receipt, De Molina would incorporate the various wildlife parts into taxidermy pieces at a studio in downtown Miami.

He offered these pieces through galleries and on the Internet for prices ranging up to USD80,000.

De Molina’s trafficking included numerous species and shipments, involving contacts in Bali, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Canada and China.

The imports were in contravention of both CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) and federal laws.

Despite the interception of two shipments in late 2009 that were ultimately forfeited by De Molina and abandoned, he continued to solicit protected wildlife from his suppliers via the Internet, and to select specific animals from photographs to be provided to him.

The parts or carcasses of the wildlife he selected would then be shipped to him without the permits or declarations required by law.

 “Mr De Molina trafficked in highly endangered species in violation of the law, disguising commercial exploitation of endangered species as artwork,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division.

“Today, Mr. De Molina has been held fully accountable for his illegal actions, which are prohibited by both U.S. and international law.”

De Molina was also sentenced to one year of supervised release to follow his prison term, a USD6,000 fine and ordered to forfeit all of the smuggled wildlife in his possession.

 “The Department of Justice and US Fish & Wildlife Service are both to be congratulated for bringing this criminal to justice and for the severity of his sentence, which will send out a strong signal to others that trafficking in endangered species will not be tolerated,” said Crawford Allan, Director of TRAFFIC North America.

“Using endangered wildlife to create hideous art pieces was a crime in every sense of the word.”

Source:  traffic.org

Malaysia's Biodiversity Our Natural Heritage: Part 1

Malaysia is one of the twelve "megadiversity" countries of the world. These countries together contain at least 60 percent of the world's known species. The island of Borneo containing the states of Sabah and Sarawak has been listed as one key area for endemism.

Flora

The flora of Malaysia is exceedingly rich and is conservatively estimated to contain about 12,500 species of flowering plants, and more than 1,100 species of ferns and fern allies. Many of these are unique and are found nowhere else in the world. In Peninsular Malaysia, for example, well over 26% of the tree species are endemic. Higher endemism is expected in the herbaceous flora with some of the larger genera estimated to be endemic in more than 80% of their species. Many endemic plants are localised in their distribution, being found only in a few valleys or mountain tops.

Much remains to be known of the flora of the country, especially of lower plants such as the bryophytes, algae, lichens and fungi. The fungi constitute the major plant diversity of the country but the total number of species is not known.

The terrestrial flora, as well as fauna, are found in a range of habitats and ecosystems from the lowlands to the top of the highest mountains, and in a wide range of forest types. These forest types form the cradle of the country's biological diversity. The lowland dipterocarp forest is extremely rich in species diversity. For example, 814 species of woody plants of 1 cm diameter and larger were found in a 50 hectare area in such a forest type. Now not much remains of this forest type due mainly to agricultural expansion.

Endemism in plant species is high in freshwater habitats. In Peninsular Malaysia, for example, 80 species in freshwater swamps and 27 species in river systems are known to be endemic. Another 70 and 41 species respectively are known to be rare.

The marine ecosystem surrounding the country's landmass, which includes the coral reefs, is extremely rich in the variety of life-forms. The coral reef community in Malaysia is considered to be one of the most diverse in the world. But the marine flora and fauna have been poorly documented. The flora include phytoplankton, seaweeds and sea grasses.

Fauna

There is an even greater diversity of fauna in the country. In the vertebrates, there are about 300 species of wild mammals, 700-750 species of birds, 350 species of reptiles, 165 species of amphibians and more than 300 species of freshwater fish. Endemism in the states of Sabah and Sarawak is higher than in Peninsular Malaysia. While there are about 1,200 species of butterflies and 12,000 species of moths in Malaysia, little is known of other groups. A conservative estimate is that there are more than 100,000 species of invertebrates.

Freshwater habitats such as the lowland slow-flowing streams and upland rivers with water torrents support a diverse aquatic invertebrate fauna and a variety of fish. Marine fauna include fish, cuttlefish, squids, sea urchins, giant clams, sea cucumbers, copepods, segestid shrimps, arrow worms and many other large and small organisms.

Pangolin smugglers busted near Gerik

Just in time: Perhilitan officers rescuing the pangolins which were kept in blue plastic bags.

18 live pangolins were recovered from a car travelling along a highway in northern Malaysia towards the Thailand border 

The state Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) rescued 18 pangolins as the animals were being transported in a car.

Perhilitan officers spotted the car, a black Proton Perdana, at 2.30am as the vehicle overtook them on the East-West Highway near Gerik last Saturday.

“Based on its registration number, they identified the car as suspected of being involved in wildlife smuggling.

 “They trailed the car before apprehending the driver at a petrol station.

“Following a search they discovered the pangolins, which were kept in 16 blue-coloured plastic bags,” said the department’s spokesman in a press release on the same day of the arrest.

An adult passenger was also detained.

A report was then lodged at the Gerik police station whereupon the two male adults were remanded for further investigation. Under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, the offence carries a fine of not less than RM50,000 and not more than RM100,000 or a jail term of up to three years or both.

Perhilitan urged the public to alert the department any activity suspected of contravening the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 at 1300-80-1010 or email pakp@wildlife.gov.my

Source: thestar.com.my