poaching – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Probe launched as grizzly bear is found dead near Yellowstone

The discovery of a grizzly bear carcass outside of Yellowstone National Park on Monday has prompted investigations by Wyoming and federal authorities.

The discovery of a grizzly bear carcass in outside Yellowstone National Park on Monday has prompted a federal investigation.

The carcass was lying on a Wyoming hillside perhaps 40 yards from the North Fork Highway between Yellowstone and the town of Cody.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has not provided details about the incident. Nor has the agency addressed social media reports that the bear appeared to have been shot.

A spokesman for the agency told FTW Outdoors:

“Grizzly bears are currently managed as a federally protected species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is assisting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the investigation.

“No further details are available at this time because it is an ongoing investigation.”

Amy Gerber of Cub Creek Photography on Monday posted an image of what she believed was the same large male bear she saw alive more than a week ago. Gerber estimated the bear’s weight at 500 pounds.

Grizzly bear carcass discovered Monday. Photo: ©Amy Wells

Amy Wells captured the image in the body of this text, showing the carcass. (The top image is generic.) More of Wells’ graphic images were shared Monday on a Yellowstone-themed Facebook page.

Grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem continue to emerge from hibernation and search for food in lower elevations. Close encounters with humans often occur during this period.

Anyone with information regarding the dead bear is asked to contact the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

–Generic grizzly bear image atop this post is courtesy of Yellowstone National Park

Poachers caught with bald eagle they had shot, intended to eat

Two men were cited Wednesday in Nebraska for unlawful possession of a bald eagle, which they had killed as a potential meal.

Ramiro Hernandez-Tziquin and Domingo Zetino-Hernandez, 20-year-old Honduran Nationals, are said to have used a rifle to shoot the eagle on private property outside of Stanton.

The men were charged with misdemeanors but the Stanton County Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release that “more serious charges are possible as the investigation into the unlawful killing continues.”

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Bald eagles, long the national emblem of the United States, have been a protected species since 1940.

The Stanton County Sheriff’s Office located the men late Tuesday while responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle outside the main Wood Duck Recreation Area.

The men, who are from Norfolk, were found to be in possession of a freshly killed bald eagle.

“Further investigation revealed that the two had shot and killed the protected national bird in that area and stated they planned on cooking and eating the bird,” the Sheriff’s Office explained.

Nebraska Game and Parks confiscated the eagle carcass and the rifle used to kill the raptor.

–Generic bald eagle image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas

Woman lands 16-year prison sentence for trafficking lion parts

A Mozambique court has sentenced a Vietnamese woman to 16 years in prison for possession and trafficking of lion and rhinoceros parts.

According to Club of Mozambique, Trang Kiu Trang was arrested in 2020 at Maputo International Airport. She was found to be in possession of 127 lion claws, 36 lion teeth, and five rhino horns.

Illegal trafficking of items collected from poached wildlife, for sale mostly in Asian markets, can be lucrative. Lion claws and teeth, for example, are in high demand for use as pendants and amulets.

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According to National Geographic, as tigers become more scarce, poachers and traffickers have turned more of their attention to lions.

But consequences can be steep for those who are caught.

Trang, who received the maximum jail sentence, also was ordered to pay more than $15,000 in fines.

–Image courtesy of Domingo

Poacher kills first black bear documented at NY wildlife refuge

A hunter has illegally killed what was described as “likely” the first black bear documented at New York’s Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.

A hunter has illegally killed what was “likely” the first black bear documented at New York’s Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.

The hunter was located after Department of Environmental Conservation officers responded to a Nov. 18 report that a K-9 unit had tracked a bear that had been shot earlier in the day.

The K-9 unit had been part of a nighttime spotlighting detail involving officers trying to catch hunters illegally using lights to locate and shoot deer.

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The DEC reported that after an investigation, officers interviewed the hunter at his home and he confessed to shooting the bear with a compound bow.

The refuge does not allow bear hunting and the hunter failed to turn in a harvest report that helps the state keep track of legal bear kills.

The man was cited and ordered to appear in federal court on charges related to the illegal harvest of a bear on a national wildlife refuge.

–Image showing officers with the poached bear is courtesy of the DEC

Oregon launches probe after two bears are found dead in trees

Oregon is seeking help from the public in locating the person(s) responsible for shooting a bear and leaving the animal to waste.

Oregon is seeking help from the public in locating the person(s) responsible for shooting a black bear and leaving the animal to waste.

The Oregon State Police Wildlife Division explained via news release that on Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. Troopers responded to a tip about a dead bear in a tree with an arrow in its flesh.

They found that the bear had also been shot two times with a gun. The Jackson County Fire Department assisted in retrieving the carcass.

Jackson County Fire Department was called to retrieve the bear carcass

The incident occurred near Anderson Creek Road, outside of Talent.

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On October 31, a second bear was found dead in a tree in the same area. Its body was decomposed but OSP believes the animal’s death was “human-caused.”

Both incidents are under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oregon State Police Dispatch at 1-800-452-7888, text *OSP (*677), or email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Case number is SP22291483.

–Top image is generic, courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Baby rhino rescued via helicopter after poachers kill its mother

A rhinoceros calf that was left to fend for itself after poachers in South Africa killed its mother has been rescued via helicopter and taken to a rhino orphanage.

When poachers kill rhinos for their horns, calves that are left behind are almost certain to perish. But for one newly orphaned calf, there’s hope for recovery and, eventually, a return to the wild.

According to the nonprofit, African Wildlife Vets, a ranger and veterinarian for Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in South Africa spotted the de-horned rhino carcass this week while conducting an aerial search for buffalo.

Wandering nearby was the 6-week-old male rhino calf.

African Wildlife Vets described what happened next on Facebook:

“Dr. Rowan Leeming immobilized the small calf and they placed it on the back seat of the helicopter. The calf was rushed to the Zululand Rhino Orphanage where he was given a drip to rehydrate him and rhino plasma to strengthen his immune system.

“The experienced team at the orphanage will do everything they can to ensure his recovery and then his well being until he is old enough to be released back into the wild.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zululand Rhino Orphanage (@zululand_rhino_orphanage)

Zululand Rhino Orphanage has shared photos and videos via Instagram showing the baby rhino, blindfolded to keep him calm, receiving care from staff.

Rhinos are poached for their keratin-rich horns, which are sold in Asian markets and used largely for medicinal purposes.

Rhinoceros populations have been decimated – about 27,000 wild rhinos exist globally, down from 70,000 in 1970 – and few rhinos survive outside national parks and reserves.

The intentional removal of rhino horns by conservations inside reserves is now a common method designed to keep the animals safe from poachers.

Rams to sign Chiefs practice squad TE Kendall Blanton to active roster

It was a short homecoming for #Chiefs practice squad TE Kendall Blanton, who has now been signed to the #Rams’ 53-man roster.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams have each poached a player from the other team’s practice squad this week.

On Wednesday, the Chiefs signed Rams DE Benton Whitley to their 53-man roster from the L.A. practice squad. On Thursday, Los Angeles made their move. According to Priority Sports’ Kenny Zuckerman, the Rams have signed their client, TE Kendall Blanton, from K.C.’s practice squad.

Blanton, a Kansas City native whose father played with the Chiefs, was signed by the Rams in 2019 as an undrafted free agent. He spent the past three seasons in Los Angeles and won Super Bowl LVI with the team.

.@Chiefs TE @TheKspecial_ returns to the @RamsNFL #NFL @PrioritySports pic.twitter.com/0cuNM5zoX8

— Kenny Zuckerman (@kenny_zuckerman) September 22, 2022

Kansas City attempted to claim Blanton when L.A. released him from the offseason roster. He ended up with the Washington Commanders, but he was released in final roster cuts. He chose to sign with the Chiefs’ practice squad, but unfortunately, it appears the homecoming didn’t last.

Blanton will need to remain on the Rams’ 53-man roster for three weeks after being signed from the Kansas City practice squad per NFL rules. Rams TE Brycen Hopkins was just suspended for three games, so it’s possible that this is a short-term decision for Los Angeles and that Blanton could return later this season.

The Chiefs now have an open spot on the practice squad that they’ll need to fill. Keep an eye on TE Matt Bushman, who was with Kansas City in the preseason, but fractured his clavicle. He was waived from injured reserve with an injury settlement. If he’s closer to a return, they could look to sign him to the practice squad.

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Snook poacher nabbed after an attempt to ‘slip away’

A Florida wildlife officer acting on a tip and vehicle description located a poaching suspect who was found in possession of 35 out-of-season and undersized snook.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated Monday that the unidentified suspect also was cited for the illegal use of a cast net.

If it were open season on snook, only hook-and-line fishing would be allowed, and the bag limit would be one snook per day.

The FWC stated that the officer who responded to a tip arrived at the unidentified Lee County location to find that “the snook stealer [had] slipped away.”

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But after receiving a description of the suspect and vehicle, the officer located the “wet and sandy” suspect and discovered a cast net and 35 snook, plus a mangrove snapper, in the truck’s bed.

Snook fishing in the region, from Sarasota Bay through Gordon Pass in Collier County, is catch-and-release only through Aug. 31.

Elk poachers nabbed after ‘suspicious’ photo appears online

Oregon officials say a “suspicious” image posted to social media, showing a trophy bull elk carcass on a trailer, helped officers nab three poachers.

Lionardo Munoz, of Mosier, has been ordered to pay $15,000 for illegally harvesting the buck in November 2021. He also received a three-year hunting ban.

Matt Wilkinson, also of Mosier, must pay $1,000 for helping to conceal the crime. He received a five-year hunting ban.

Wilkinson’s wife, Rachel Hallett, was cited for illegally harvesting a buck deer.

Photo that helped launch the investigation. Credit: ODFW

The investigation began last Nov. 9, after a hunter had texted the image of the trophy bull elk to the Oregon State Police, Fish and Wildlife Division.

“Something was just not right about the photo of a 6×6 bull elk on a trailer,” the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife stated in a news release.

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Said Senior Trooper Brent Ocheskey: “It was a big elk on that trailer. An elk is a big animal, not easy to pack out without gutting and quartering it. That in itself was suspicious, especially in our patrol area.”

Ocheskey and fellow Trooper Matt Newby obtained the name of Munoz as the hunter said to have shot the elk. When they arrived at the residence, the spotted Munoz and Wilkinson driving in a truck. In the truck’s bed was a 6×6 bull elk head and hide.

Munoz possessed a license for spike elk so it seemed as though his violation was simply harvesting an oversized buck. However, he told the troopers that the elk belonged to Wilkinson, who said the elk was harvested by his wife, Rachel Hallett.

Hallett went along with the lie, but only briefly. On her behalf, Wilkinson told investigators that Munoz had shot the buck in an orchard in Mosier, and that Wilkinson helped Munoz load the carcass onto the trailer.

At sentencing, Munoz and Wilkinson pleaded guilty to Unlawful Take of a Six-Point Bull. Munoz was ordered to pay the bulk of the fine.

Hallett pleaded guilty to Unlawful Take of Buck Deer. She received 12 months probation and must serve 40 hours of community service.

Said Bernadette Graham-Hudson, ODFW Wildlife Administrator: “Oregon hunters, legislators and other conservationists work hard to pass strict sentencing guidelines to address poaching cases like this one.

“Not only did the subjects steal a wildlife resource that belongs to all Oregonians, but they broke hunting safety laws while doing so. Hopefully fines like this will serve as a warning to other who would behave so irresponsibly.”

Anglers cited for catching 100-plus crappie over the legal limit

In the past two weeks, crappie anglers in Nebraska have been cited multiple times for grossly exceeding the daily bag limit.

For some Nebraska anglers, it seems, a daily bag limit of 15 crappie is not even close to being sufficient.

In the past two weeks, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, numerous anglers have been cited for grossly exceeding the limit at Standing Bear Lake.

During one visit, Conservation Officers cited three people for possessing more crappie than regulations allow. One angler possessed 119 crappie, or 104 crappie over the bag limit.

During another visit, an angler was found in possession of 121 crappie, or 106 crappie over the limit.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, which addressed this issue Friday via Facebook, did not disclose possible penalties for those cited. The commission did state that the fish were seized as evidence.

The agency added: “It’s the job of our Conservation Officers to prevent poaching, which includes over-fishing. Overfishing can be detrimental to the ecosystem. There are reasons for limits and far-reaching consequences when people choose to poach and over-consume.”

Some in the comments section called on the commission to impose lifetime fishing bans on those who were cited for excessive over-limits.