He's a dirtbag for sure. I can't believe the agencies and courts are so leinient to these smugglers. He was jailed for 14 weeks not months and the fine was about what one gecko would sell for. So, figure he lost 4 months pay for trying to steal 44 herps worth about $100,000 (44 x $2500 each = $110,000; 44 x $2000 each = $88,000). He was on his fourth trip. Doesn't send much of a message to smugglers.
Funny thing is they are treated quite differently than thieves even though they are stealing these from these countries. Think how outraged people get when they hear a collector or breeder had his/her collection stolen. This same outrage is non-existent when considering smugglers. I often hear ridiculous arguments that I owe my gecko collection to smugglers....that's how they came to be in the herp trade. Many people aren't patient enough to get the animals from legitimate sources (e.g., Zoos or scientific institutes). There are legit avenues and these are the right way to get herps. Expensive at first, but prices drop as cb animals increase.
While it is true that some herps might disappear from the wild (for reasons other than smuggling; e.g., habitat loss) and cb populations can keep them from extinction, I strongly believe it is the individual countries right to determine how they want to go about conservering their natural resources and I have no right stealing animals simply by justifying it as "saving" them. if you want them that badly just keep offering money until they say yes and sell them to you. Not willing to pay a million dollars for a gecko...oh well get a leo. I'm not (yet) willing to pay a few hundred grand for that ferrari, but I haven't stolen one (yet)
John
