Hi Daniel and all,
I can't answer all your questions, but I can tell you a little about how
the TSA works. There is a taxon management group for each species, and
a manager for the group. The manager chose the people who would get
turtles, based on experience with that species or similar species. In a
less urgent situation the TSA might have done applications to qualify
keepers, but this was a huge number of turtles coming in before the TSA
had time to set up any systems. The number of turtles also pretty much
took care of the problem of people being unhappy about someone else
getting turtles and them not -- there were enough to go around, and the
last big batch went to keepers in Europe, which was kindof a relief.
Also, the TSA officially owns the turtles, and they are marked. They
are on breeding loan to the keepers, and the keepers sign a breeding
loan agreement. The keepers get to keep half of the eventual babies, if
any, and the TSA officially owns the other half. A keeper can sell the
babies they own. The keeper gets all the expenses and work of the
turtles in their care ;-)
The turtles confiscated in Hong Kong originally went to a conservation
organization there, Kadoorie Farms. They were not confiscated in the
US. I'm not sure how much difference that makes. Certainly USF&W had
to have been in on the entry into the US.
I am sure Rick Hudson or others who set up the TSA would be willing to
share info with an official GGA person to see if the GGA could set up
something similar. Though the situations are somewhat different, it
seems worth checking out.
Hope this helps,
Melody
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> I think we all can agree that something has to be done with the way
> the feds handle confiscated animals. Flashing a badge and/or pulling
> a gun should not be the end of their job.
>
> The idea of sending these confiscated animals into the GGA for
> distribution into devoted hands is a good idea, but it lacks some key
> points. First, who or what could give the GGA authority to do that?
> How could the GGA qualify to fill the same role as the TSA? Who
> would decide who gets the animals? Would there be a questionare type
> of thing?
>
> I just don't see it happening at all guys.
>
> Maybe, we could use this recent example of federal mishandling (if
> indeed there was some) to draw support for our side-- reform. I've
> had enough of the higher organizations treading on us when they deny
> animals the right to life.
>
> This shipment was a good one to say the least. Starting with
> chameleons they had various Calumma parsonni morphs, Calumma
> oshaughnessyi, Fucifer minor, F. campani, F. antimena, F. balteatus,
> and that's all I can remember! Phelsuma included P. serraticauda, P.
> flavigularis, P. modesta, P. barbouri, and P. guttata. GUTTATA!!!!!
> There was an add up on kingsnake.com, and retail for the serraticauda
> were cheaper than a lot of the grandis being sold. I can only imagine
> the wholesale.
>
> --Daniel
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