From vklasa at yahoo.com Wed Jun 30 23:27:10 2010 From: vklasa at yahoo.com (Vicki) Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:27:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: CROCLIST: This is a TRUE SHAME!!! Please read!! Message-ID: <255307.24689.qm@web110614.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> The Plain Dealer, June 30, 2010 Ohio Division of Wildlife kills wayward caiman crocodilian CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A state wildlife officer killed the two-foot-long caiman crocodilian that Cleveland police captured in a driveway Monday evening after police told her the zoo didn't want it. But Cleveland Metroparks Zoo officials never said they wouldn't take in the wandering reptile. The zoo was prepared to take in on Tuesday morning what police thought was an alligator, a zoo spokeswoman said. But, an officer with the Ohio Division of Wildlife shot the caiman in the head Monday night with a .22-caliber rifle. It died instantly, she said. Police initially reported that the animal was a four-foot-long alligator captured about 6:30 p.m. on Ira Avenue, near Ridge Park Square. Officers coaxed the reptile into the backseat of a police car. It turned out to be a caiman that "no one was willing to take due to the fact that its origin is unknown," Division of Wildlife spokeswoman Jamey Graham said Tuesday morning. But zoo spokeswoman Sue Allen said that is incorrect. Tony Lesh, a zoo veterinarian, suggested that the animal be brought to the zoo in the morning when the animal care staff could accommodate the animal's needs, Allen said. But the animal was dead by Tuesday. Wildlife Officer Hollie Fluharty met police at Edgewater Park shortly after it was captured. She asked the officer if he had tried to find a place for the caiman. He said he had and that the zoo didn't want it, Graham said. Fluharty "took his word for it and dealt with the situation as best she could at that time," Graham said. She noted that Fluharty was doing the cops a favor, as roaming exotic pets are not part of her responsibilities as a wildlife officer. ***I strongly urge anyone who has concerns over how Hollie Fluharty handled this matter to contact the following: Ohio Division of Wildlife Cuyahoga County Headquarters 912 Portage Lakes Drive Akron, Ohio 44319 (330) 644-2293 Hollie Fluharty: Direct (330) 245-3033 From ADestroyah at aol.com Wed Jun 30 23:34:36 2010 From: ADestroyah at aol.com (ADestroyah at aol.com) Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:34:36 EDT Subject: CROCLIST: This is a TRUE SHAME!!! Please read!! Message-ID: <68611.710210e7.395d126c@aol.com> Unless I'm mistaken, once they got the animal away from the public (and thus eliminate any potential danger to the public) law enforcement isn't supposed to dispose of any animals. If they wanted it put down they should have taken it to an animal shelter. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.gatorhole.com/pipermail/croclist/attachments/20100630/21a10396/attachment.htm From donny039 at wowway.com Wed Jun 30 23:40:29 2010 From: donny039 at wowway.com (Donny) Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:40:29 -0400 Subject: CROCLIST: This is a TRUE SHAME!!! Please read!! In-Reply-To: <68611.710210e7.395d126c@aol.com> References: <68611.710210e7.395d126c@aol.com> Message-ID: <3A699D7FBBD845E5AA90E0496178C9F4@donnyPC> It would seem to me that the police officer violated federal wildlife law since the caiman is regulated under the ESA ----- Original Message ----- From: ADestroyah at aol.com To: croclist at lists.gatorhole.com Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 5:34 PM Subject: Re: CROCLIST: This is a TRUE SHAME!!! Please read!! Unless I'm mistaken, once they got the animal away from the public (and thus eliminate any potential danger to the public) law enforcement isn't supposed to dispose of any animals. If they wanted it put down they should have taken it to an animal shelter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Croclist mailing list Croclist at lists.gatorhole.com http://lists.gatorhole.com/mailman/listinfo/croclist Croclist Image Website: http://reptilians.org/croclist/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.gatorhole.com/pipermail/croclist/attachments/20100630/bd93f309/attachment.htm