A large number of allegedly unlawfully possessed animals, alive and dead, were found at a Kyneton premises this month as part of an investigation.
The state’s conservation regulator searched a Kyneton business with warrants on Thursday, April 3, locating a large amount of wildlife – with some of the animals found dead.
The search warrant was part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged unlawful possession of native and exotic wildlife.
All wildlife is protected in Victoria under the Wildlife Act 1975, and it is illegal to possess, take or destroy wildlife without authorisation, with exotic pest animals posing a serious biosecurity risk to Victoria.
Conservation Regulator Loddon Mallee manager of regulatory operations Suriya Vine said that the laws and permit systems exist to “prevent the exploitation of native and exotic animals as well as protecting their welfare”.
“If you are aware of suspicious behaviour around wildlife, we encourage you to report it to Crime Stoppers Victoria. Even a small amount of information from the public can help fight wildlife crime,” Ms Vine said.
According to the Conservation Regulator, the illegal trade, sale and distribution of these exotic species risks normalising these animals as pets in Victoria, which in turn risks their escape or release into the landscape and becoming pest species.
If you know of any offences being committed against Victoria’s wildlife, you can make an anonymous report to Crimestoppers by calling 1800 333 000.
