Leopard and ivory and pig, oh my!

Posted 4/5/22

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s environmental …

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Leopard and ivory and pig, oh my!

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SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s environmental conservation law, protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 2021, 282 environmental conservation police officers (ECOs) and investigators across the state responded to 26,207 calls and worked on cases that resulted in 11,562 tickets or arrests for crimes ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the black market pet trade and excessive emissions violations.

On March 3, lieutenant Michael Buckley, investigator Jeanette Bastedo and ECO Glen Parker from the DEC conducted an enforcement detail to crack down on the illegal commercialization of wildlife in Sullivan County. While in plainclothes, Bastedo and Parker entered an antique shop in the Town of Liberty and, within a few minutes, located several artifacts made from ivory, alligator parts and leopard parts. After the items were positively identified, the officers identified themselves and seized the pieces as evidence. Several notices of violation were issued to the store owners for offering ivory, alligator parts and leopard parts for sale. The store owners agreed to a consent order and paid $2,500 in penalties.

On March 16, Parker responded to a report of a pig struck by an ambulance in the town of Fremont near the Pennsylvania border. Parker arrived at the location and found the pig dead on the side of the road. He collected the animal and transported it to DEC’s Division of Wildlife to conduct a pathology examination to identify the presence of any diseases. Test results showed the pig appeared to be healthy before it was struck, but provided no information about its origins. Parker spoke to a Pennsylvania Game Warden who advised he had received several reports of pig sightings near the New York border the previous week.

Any sightings of wild pigs should be reported to DEC Dispatch at 844/332-3267.

Department of Environmental Conservation, environmental conservation officers, enforcement, antiques, wild pigs

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