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Melrose antique dealer who tried to sell tiger's head fined – BBC
Sep
Prosecutors were granted an order for the forfeiture of the tiger's head
An antique dealer has been fined £1,000 after offering a tiger's head mounted on a wooden shield for sale.
Richard Wales, 49, from Melrose, also tried to sell leopard and tiger claws on selling websites.
He admitted contravening regulations designed to protect endangered species from illegal trade.
Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told the tiger's head, which Wales said had been removed from a rug, was found during a search of his home.
Officers obtained a search warrant for his house in September 2015 after the adverts were spotted.
The tiger's head was identified by an expert from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) as the same head seen in a Gumtree advert.
Wales also offered a leopard's claw for sale online
Other eBay adverts from the antique dealer's "theexplorersstudy" account offered tiger and leopard claws for sale.
Claws of tigers and leopards cannot be sold without a licence from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, known as an Article 10 certificate.
Prosecutors were also granted an order for the forfeiture of the tiger's head which was valued at £3,200.
Assistant procurator fiscal Laura Buchan said: "This illegal trade has a harmful effect on the conservation status of tigers and contributes to their decline in the wild.
"Richard Wales failed in his responsibilities and as a result stands convicted of a criminal offence.
"It's vitally important that those in the antiques trade fully understand the legislation as well as take seriously their obligations in respect of the trade in items from endangered species."
Police Scotland's wildlife crime co-ordinator Det Sgt Andy Mavin said: "We are committed to investigating crimes against endangered species as part of the worldwide campaign to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife.
"However, these types of inquiries can be complex and time-consuming so the assistance provided by our partners is much valued."
Lou Hubble, head of the National Wildlife Crime Unit, said international legislation existed to protect animals in danger of extinction from trade.
"It is recognised that trading in such animal parts and derivatives can endanger the few remaining species left in the wild and has resulted in global preventative action," she said.
"It is therefore incumbent on everyone, wherever they may live, to ensure they abide by the law in order to protect the dwindling stocks of rare animals left on the planet."
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