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What is the punishment for abducting a desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) from the wild and taking it across state lines like, halfway across the country?
I work at a pet store in Ohio and came across a man who claims to have taken what I can only assume is an endangered gopherus tortoise from southern California and is trying to keep it as a pet in poor conditions (indoors, in a 75g tank, no UVB). From what I've researched, I understand that you have to be registered by wildlife conservation groups to adopt one of these animals, and even then, you have to live in regions where they're native.
I'm going to call Fish and Wildlife, surely they'll be able to do something? I'm just trying to handle this as delicately as possible, the guy seemed like the kind of stubborn, dirty old guy that would fucking kill or release the tortoise if he found out he'd be fined for it. I have his name and phone number that I can tell wildlife agencies, I'm just wondering if there's anything else I'm missing or that I should do. I genuinely care about the animal and only want the best for it.
It's worth mentioning, too, that he specifically told me that he'd found it just outside of 29 Palms, California. This is important because a quick Google search alone shows that the fucking MILITARY sanctioned and oversaw the care and release of a few hundred of these tortoises in that exact area about 7 or 8 years ago.
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>trying to keep it as a pet in poor conditions (indoors, in a 75g tank, no UVB)
>It's worth mentioning, too, that he specifically told me that he'd found it just outside of 29 Palms, California. This is important because a quick Google search alone shows that the fucking MILITARY sanctioned and oversaw the care and release of a few hundred of these tortoises in that exact area about 7 or 8 years ago.
yikes, yeah, i think you'd be doing the right thing if you alerted fish & wildlife.
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Notify the wildlife program you contact that he may act maliciously towards the tortoise if they he has foreknowledge of their visit. Advise them to go to his property in person first to rule out the element of suprise.
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>>2377604
Fudge, I meant to maintain an element of surprise* (so he doesnt harm or ditch the animal as you suggested he may)
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Sure is moralfag up in here
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>>2377621
t. poacher
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>>2377546
>>2377604
That's probably what I'll do. Is there any sort of fine associated with this type of thing? I don't know if I should try and talk him down from it, I have half a mind to inform him that it's illegal and try to convince him to bring the tortoise to me and let me hand it in for him, primarily to avoid him coming to the store and causing a scene or even potentially attempting to harm me if he feels he's been crossed. I know it sounds dumb, but he seems like some kind of biker or something, smelled like cigarettes, tattoos all up his arms, gave me the impression that he's the type of guy you don't want to have coming at you.
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>>2377527
Call the USF&W. Don't waste your time with the state woodies
https//www.fws.gov/midwest/
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>>2377527
they aren't endangered.
not that it matters but it annoys me when people call animals endangered when they aren't.
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>>2377651
It's a protected species and it's classified as threatened, which is like endangered-lite.
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>>2377527
the punishment would be going to fucking jail. call fish and wildlife
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Punishment for abducting a desert tortoise (gopherus agassizii) from the wild?
Living in Ohio
End this madness
> too much pain already endured
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>>2378043
>the punishment would be going to fucking jail
you can't go to jail for a federal offense, only prison. The feds don't have jails.
they aren't going to put the dude in prison for a fucking-with-animals charge.
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>>2378157
OP says tortise guy is a biker
>OP calls fedfrogpatrol re maybe species of concern
>Fedfrogpatrol go to bikers house
>Fedfrogpatrol sees biker shit
>Fedfrogpatrol pulls back, calls in reinforcements
>Biker sees APC rumbling up drive
Hilarity ensues.exe
>Biker goes to federal poundmeintheass prison for being a biker involved with biker shit
>OP has banditos, outlaws, iron horsemen, highwaymen, Dayton satans, and renegades visiting his family and employer.
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>>2378157
Idk man an attourney in my state got someone put in prison for 14 months for cruelty to hid girlfriends kitten, he slammed it on every sharp object in the apartment and left it to die. If you make a strong enough case, i.e. Repeated offense, abusive, ill conditions for other animals in the house etc it may happen. If they see shady shit at the house (which I believe will happen, given OP's description) it's plausible.
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>>2377637
You're probably not the only person he told about this tortoise, I'm sure he has friends and/or family that is aware and would be able to find out that it is endangered. Thus I wouldn't be worried about him beating you up or whatever. The authorities you contact won't be like, "hey anon over at 122 whatever lane told us you have a turtle, so after we're through with you you can go beat the shit out of him."
Leave it to the authorities, don't try to contact him. Nothing bad will happen to you.
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>>2378349
>would be able to find out that it is endangered
it's not though.
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>>2378157
>jail
>prison
sorry I don't know the semantics
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>>2378397
Is goofy and depends on the local jurisdiction. There are county jails and state prisons, and federal prisons in burgerland, and at least the state of Pennsylvania has county prisons. Same thing in reality - getting locked in a cage for being found guilty of lawbreaking.
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>>2377527
Immediate execution on the spot
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>>2378350
that was corrected once already in the thread, give it a rest
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>>2378457
It's too late for OP fellow poster, Autism never rests.
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>>2378481
Objective: Post the word 'autism' on every board 32 times. Date is May 10th, 2017. A Wednesday. A dark and rainy day. A good day to fight crime.
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Update: I called the Midwest region Fish and Wildlife Department, got forwarded to two numbers for Wildlife Department officers in Ohio. Neither of them picked up so I left a message both times with the situation and my contact information.
What are my chances that this actually gets seen through? My guess is like 4%. I'm starting to worry that this guy is going to do some googling and find out what he's done and try to clean his hands of the thing.
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>>2377527
Haha I know what store you speak of. I go there for feeder rats since they're the only place left selling live ones. The tortoise is straight back in the back, your parking lot is shit, your owner is a tubby fag who is a 'biker' for the leather daddy scene, and the middle age black guy who listens to near-death metal while stocking confuses me.
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>>2378627
Not sure if this is some obscure meme or joke that I'm missing, but you've got the wrong place. It's a pretty respectable local store and everybody I work with is white
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>>2378611
Keep pushing up the flagpole. The bureaucrats will try to push you down, (like the feds did to the states) but YOU need to keep pushing up.
You want the name of a Midwest USFW endangered species expert in E.Lansing, MI? Or did you already talk to her?
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>>2378660
My mistake, I misread thinking you work with biker guy. Wrong store. Although the details match 90%, odd. I guess Ohio has a problem with bikers and tortoise theft.
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>>2377637
>he seems like some kind of biker or something, smelled like cigarettes, tattoos all up his arms, gave me the impression that he's the type of guy you don't want to have coming at you.
Stop doing what you're trying to do unless you want to get into deep shit.
This type of person usually gets REALLY pissed off if you mess with their pets and there's a good possibility that he'll find out where you live and bring some friends to teach you a lesson.
A turtle is not worth getting beaten up over or worse.
>>2378349
Sounds like a sheltered moron who has never dealt with real criminals before.
It's your ass on the line here and "the authorities" won't save you if he and some of his biker buddies decide to wait for you in a parking lot after work or break into your house and murder your pets.
Whichever authority is going to visit his house to take his turtle will likely find drugs/weapons/contraband which will result in him going to jail.
After that his biker friends will try to find the bleeding heart moron who got their buggy jailed over a fucking turtle and break your fucking legs. Hope you've got health insurance.
>inb4 call the police
there is a reason biker gangs still exist and it's not because the police is in control of the situation
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>>2380435
real life isn't like one of your animes buddy. you're delusional as fuck
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