U.S. District Court has sentenced a Vermont man to a week in jail for killing an endangered lynx – after he left the carcass with a taxidermist for mounting.
According to the Bangor Daily News, Vermont Fish and Wildlife officials were tipped off by the taxidermist, who said the man claimed he thought was “shooting at a coyote” while enjoying a deer hunting excursion in Maine.
This marks the third time in less than three years that someone has been sentenced for killing an endangered Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis).
U.S. Magistrate Judge Margaret Kravchuk believed the jail time was necessary, saying that
We have the Endangered Species Act to protect, restore and save these types of animals. I do think this defendant deserves jail time. Just a fine would be a meaningless punishment.
The man who killed the lynx, Alan B. Clark Jr. 38, of South Hero, VT, admitted to Kravchuk that he knew it was a lynx when he took it to the taxidermist, and pleaded guilty to the federal misdemeanor crime of possession of unlawfully taken wildlife.
Although Clark faced up to six months in jail, and a fine up to $25,000, his attorney got him a reduced sentence, citing “recent chronic health problems” and “inability to work.” Clark’s jail time starts Thursday afternoon at the Penobscot County jail.
Apparently, Clark’s right to possess guns and hunt will not be affected by the conviction.
Canadian lynx wins critical habitat victory
Fortunately, there has been some good news about these endangered cats. Earlier this year, Big Cat Rescue celebrated a victory in long-term survival of the Canadian lynx:
After languishing for eight years on the Endangered Species list with little to no protection of its habitat, the Canada lynx won big yesterday when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated nearly 25 million acres in Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington as critical habitat for the reclusive feline. This is the largest area of critical habitat ever designated for any terrestrial species and the third largest critical habitat the Center has ever obtained (the others were won for the spectacled eider — 24.8 million acres, and North Pacific right whale — 23.5 million acres).
The lynx has been decimated by a combination of fur trapping and loss of habitat to logging and development. In 2008, the Center for Biological Diversity reined in lynx trapping in Minnesota through successful litigation and today’s victory gives us the tools we need to further protect its habitat. These 25 million acres of critical habitat will provide vital protections, allowing the lynx to recover.
The habitat expansion is considered “a dramatic improvement from the Bush administration to the Obama administration” by the Center for Biological Diversity in Portland, OR.
Will the sentencing help?
Is a week in jail really enough to deter this guy (or anyone else) from committing the same crime in the future?
Or will he just avoid the taxidermist next time?
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bullfrogphoto/ / CC BY-ND 2.0
About Rhishja Cota-Larson
A week and no using weapons for life or a year in prison.
He knew exactly what he was doing; a week is an insult to endangered species the world over.
You’ve got to be kidding me. A week in jail? That’s why there has been killings in the last 3 years. People know that they can get away with it. This sickens me….. IT IS VERY MUCH AN INSULT TO ENDANGERED SPECIES!!!!
The thing is a complete joke the punishment for killing an endangered animal. His honor must yhave read one too many law boioks or had a book case hit him in the head to make such an unsound ruling.w
If the guy isn’t working then he has plenty of time to sit in jail. Sorry, if you can’t tell the difference between a coyote and a cat then you should not be allowed to use a gun. Is he next going to say the moose he just shot he mistook from a white tail?
Personally, I think a week in jail is pathetic, though still a step in the right direction. He deserves a much longer sentence.
I think he a liar and he is probably lying about his health and his money. He didn’t mind breaking the law, but its because he thinks he special. He is not, he should not be above the law. He should have to serve his whole time, pay the whole fine, because the whole world has to pay for his stupidity. If he is so stupid that he doesn’t know the difference in animals, then he needs to keep his ass out of the woods. To bad I don’t live up there I would be glad to go over and help him learn his animals. You should have stopped him from every being able to hunt again. Take license away from him. oh I forgot he lives up in the good ole boy country. That doesn’t give a butt about animals, thinks they all put here to kill. Keep it up dumb ass soon there won’t be any and everyone will suffer.
i think this guy is smart for leaving it with a taxidermist. he could have blamed him.
-jk