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Jaguar hide recovered off San Pedro Town streets
Thursday, December 12th, 2013


[Linked Image] The jaguar, scientifically known as Panthera Onca, is an endangered species and is protected in Belize. So when a volunteer for a wildlife conservation organization on mainland Belize spotted a man attempting to sell a jaguar hide on the morning of December 8th, they quickly snapped a couple photos. The photos were then posted on the Belize Wildlife Conservation Network Facebook page, which put the wheels in motion for island residents to notify the San Pedro Town police. An investigation led to the recovery of the jaguar hide on Tuesday December 10th, sometime around 7:30PM.

According to San Pedro police, several reports accompanied by photographs, were made of a Creole male selling the hide on Sunday December 8th on the beachside. The recovered jaguar hide is believed to be that of an adult and measured over four feet in size from the collar bone area to the hip bone (near upper tail area).
Police Constable John Arana said that they received the report on Sunday and immediately began an investigation to recover the hide as well as the person selling it. PC Arana said that after receiving several leads, they visited an empty lot where they found the hide carefully hidden. No one was in the area, but police are looking for the man who had been photographed as he attempted to sell the skin on the beach.

Click Here to read the rest of the article and see photos in the San Pedro Sun


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Two more jaguar hides confiscated by Belize Forestry Department in San Pedro
Saturday, December 21st, 2013



A joint operation between the Belize Forestry Department and San Pedro Police Department has led to the discovery of two illegal jaguar hides. The pelts were found inside a warehouse in the San Marcos area on Marina Drive in San Pedro Town on Tuesday December 17th.
[Linked Image]
According to Victoria Cawich, Forestry and Wildlife Officer at the Belize Forestry Department, the operation was launched after authorities received a tip from a local resident on Monday December 16th. The operation was immediately put into place and with the help of San Pedro police, the warehouse was searched. Cawich explained that inside the building were two well preserved jaguar pelts which appeared to be of two fully mature adult jaguars, scientifically known as Panthera Onca.
Investigations so far reveal that the jaguars were killed in the Toledo District. According to Cawich, the naturalized Belizean who had the pelts explained that he came in to possession of the jaguar hides in March from a friend living in Punta Gorda Town. That person was contacted by investigators and indicated that he shot and killed the animals after they were attacking and killing his livestock on his farm. The Punta Gorda Town resident said that he gave the jaguar hides to a friend since it was of no use to him.
Cawich explained that because the person who had the hides is cooperating with the ongoing investigation and because he has never been charged for anything in Belize, his offences were compounded. In other words he has agreed to committing the offence and to pay an imposed fine of $200.

Click Here to read the rest of the article and see photos in the San Pedro Sun


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Someone knew the laws and the fines and knew that paying up if they got caught would be infinitesimally smaller than the profit if the sale made it through... There needs to be a complete revision of the wildlife and environmental laws in Belize, they're a joke and they demean the GOB employees who give a shit about preserving the wildlife and heritage of this country.

The pelts that were originally posted in the San Pedro Sun were preserved by someone who knew nothing about preserving skins. The pelts in the picture above were done by either a skilled taxidermist or someone with a lot of practice.

All in all there's a whole lot of BS in this story and I smell corruption as strongly as I can smell a dead animal in an empty lot.

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About 6 months ago one of our oldtimers on Caye Caulker who is more than a sketchy type of man came into my gallery with a Jaguar hide wanting to sell it, I was so appalled I could not speak and threw him out. As did every other store as he went door to door. It took about 5 minutes for me to get on the phone to the Forestry Dept. I was told to call the Police, that seldom works here. but I did call the police. On my way home I went by the mans house, the hide was in plain site on his porch. I actually got an officer to come and see it for himself. He just looked confused. The hide was there for another 2 days, then it was gone. Kudos for your Island Police for doing their job.


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And yes, the hide here was just that, in very poor condition, very stiff. Not at all like the image.


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I noticed the same thing simon the first one was a amateur the second 2 were skinned and prepared by Pro's


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