A couple and a family member have been convicted of and fined for multiple wildlife crimes, including unlawfully possessing a sea turtle skull, several mountain lions, a wolverine, a ringtail cat, owl parts, and illegally harvested deer, according to an announcement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) on Feb. 25.
“Like human and narcotics trafficking, wildlife trafficking of both live animals and animal parts is known to fund transnational criminal organizations and their violent activities all over the world. The individuals involved exhibited a flagrant disregard for laws governing natural resources and are now being held accountable for their actions,” said Nathanial Arnold, CDFW chief of law enforcement, in the announcement.
