Chameleon Smugglers!

[Norcal55]

I dont think I have seen anyone post this here but it makes me sick! I have seen a lot of "legal" imports coming in and it just makes you wonder how many make a stop off in the UK before they come here as legally imported.
****Edit story is from the UK news, the shipment was found in South Africa***
The pictures say it all.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...e-U-S-die-crammed-plastic-tubs-five-days.html

 

[kdc5019]

That's awful

 

[Kath44]

Think it was posted the other day. Nowhere does it mention the uk.
Kath.

 

[Norcal55]

Think it was posted the other day. Nowhere does it mention the uk.
Kath.

You are correct, looks like it was checked in South Africa.

 

[qdude46]

It here as a similar article posted and this is sick, this is the major downside to WC. So sad to see all the dead lateralis and all those frogs

 

[EmmaChams]

same, says nothing about the UK but still sad to see this happen, that's why I'm very put off with wild caught animals labeled in pet stores thinking what did that poor creature endure to get to where it is now

 

[Deevo]

The truth though is probably 80 % of the reptiles we see in the pet stores came in just like this, and this shipment before those ones too.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

When I look at the species they look to be legal CITES quotas species Furcifer oustaleti and Furcifer lateralis. It is quite obvious that the conditions those chameleons are being exported in are not exceptable and that the under the radar exporter or smugglers should be prosecuted.

 

[tbarthelmess]

so very sad! those poor creatures!

 

[Chris Anderson]

From what I can tell, those are all species that are legal to export, all of which are exported in large numbers and none are particularly valuable (and thus not worth the effort or risk to smuggle, particularly in those numbers). Further, Madagascar to South Africa to the US is a standard route for legal shipments when Air France has a moratorium on live animal shipments due to temperatures in Paris. The DailyMail is notorious for poor reporting quality and sensationalizing articles. None of the other news pieces about this shipment suggested it was an illegal shipment (ex: http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/what-this-is-is-a-massacre-1.1639778 and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25877368). I suspect this was a legal shipment that should have been delayed in Madagascar because of the known upcoming weather issues along its path rather than getting stuck in South Africa. Definitely a sad and unfortunate incident, but I don't think this article by the DailyFail is accurate.

Chris

 

[Chris Anderson]

In fact, the BBC article I listed reports that the shipment did have the proper authorizations (CITES permits), so all notion of this being an illegal shipment is just poor reporting by the DailyFail. Still a sad story, but should be reported accurately, not in a sensationalistic way designed to enrage people about things that aren't true.

Chris

 

[Chris Anderson]

Another article pointing out that the shipment was legal: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/01/...phibians-found-dead-at-south-african-airport/

Chris

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Whether it is plants or animals it is always a problem when dealing with perishables, living things they can die. Since this was a legal shipment, if there was protocol and there should be protocol if a flight becomes delayed as often happens and a legal shipments of perishable items is apart of that flight. There should be accommodation that the perishables should be packaged in a way that they can be attended too and cared for to prevent atrocities such as this. That would clean up much of these problems.

Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Chameleons Canada]

I had a shipment programmed to arrive this weekend in Canada, when I was getting everything ready me and my suppliers considered very risky and dangerous to go ahead, due to the extreme weather conditions here in Canada and in Europe, so even though I have all my paper work done and ready, I decided to wait for a couple of months until there is less risk. I am really in shock to see I was right!

Who's to blame? Hard to say, I think is just lack of info and or interest in between the 2 parties involved, thinking "it will be fine". As you can see in the article, the airline didn't give a damned, they are not obligated to pay for anything, they might be accused for animal cruelty, but that will not bring back the animals lost.

We all loose here, quotas are very slim nowadays, so is not right to waste them like this. And I'm sure from now on authorities will be more picky, even for no reason for next imports.

Might be worth to change the threat title, this was not smuggling, I would probably call it negligence at its best.

 

[Kent67]

This is how they do it: http://translate.googleusercontent....tiles/&usg=ALkJrhikTElBzj6N5ObiwteAt7vwoacLbQ

Thanks to Olaf Pronk for originally sharing this on Facebook.

Or like these guys, with 10% of the world's last ploughshare tortoises in their luggage: http://www.traffic.org/home/2013/3/...ritically-endangered-ploughshare-tortois.html