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Old April 21, 2005, 08:10 AM   #5
Double Naught Spy
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Join Date: January 8, 2001
Location: Forestburg, Montague Cnty, TX
Posts: 12,712
Quote:
Well, fittest (fittest?) and largest aside, I wonder what they mean by rarest. Since any animal on the endangered species list would be illegal to shoot in any country that controls hunting, and attempting to import the skins, horns etc of any protected animal at a minimum is going to get it confiscated at port of entry - and risk a heavy fine and or imprisonment.
Endangered species are only illegal to shoot in countries that agree to such conventions and enforce such conventions. There is no world law on this and many countries are willing to allow illegal hunts to occur because they generate review and often coincide by money under the table.

It would be nice if such illegally hunted animals were always caught on the attempt to import, but that simply isn't the case. Not every animal or animal product shipped into the US is checked. In many cases, the animals are declared, but as some non-protected species, usually one that is closely related so that your average inspector might not be able to tell the difference. For example, there are rare sheep in China that are protected and the differences are at the species and subspecies levels. Short of genetic testing or noting location of hunt, the ones illegal to hunt are not readily discerned from those illegal to hunt.

The USFWS Forensics Lab in Oregon does a good job of helping to stop the illegal importation of such protected species and parts, but the people effecting the crimes are quite creative.
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