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  1. #1
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    Pulling out crocodiles: all in a day's work at the border

    Pulling out crocodiles: all in a day's work at the border
    An AP Member Exchange Feature By KIM FUNDINGSLAND Minot Daily News
    The Associated Press - Saturday, March 15, 2008

    DUNSEITH, N.D.

    Can you tell the difference between a carving made from a mastodon tusk and one made from the tusk of an African elephant?

    Have you got an urge to pull live crocodiles out from under the back seat of vehicles?

    How about pulling off someone's shoes before letting them enter the United States or sticking your hand into a bucket of gall bladders?

    Such episodes are all in a day's work for Scott Peltier, a wildlife inspector for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. His primary station is at the border crossing located next to the International Peace Garden.

    Peltier has been conducting inspections along the United States-Canadian border for 14 interesting years.

    "I remember when I started," he said. "As a former resident of Dunseith, I just couldn't believe the things that were crossing this border."

    In his office at the border, Peltier has a large photo album jammed with pictures taken during his early days as a wildlife inspector. It contains page after page of photos of animals and animal parts discovered during inspections. One photograph is of Peltier sitting atop a small mountain of moose antlers - just a portion of a shipment a man was attempting to bring into the United States.

    "At the time, the maximum allowed value was $25,000," Peltier said. "The guy had documentation for just under that amount. However, when I searched his truck cab, I found receipts totaling over $96,000."

    Also included in the shipment was a huge entanglement of caribou and deer antlers, enough to completely fill two, single-stall storage garages at the border. The man admitted his guilt and had to pay substantial fines in the United States and in Canada.

    Some illegal activity is not so easy to discover. Peltier once did a thorough inspection of cargo that would have been illegal without the proper permits and documentation. When he asked about a specific permit, the man pulled a wallet from his pocket and proudly produced the proper paperwork. However, Peltier recognized the unusual wallet as being made from elephant hide. Elephants and items made from elephant parts are protected under the African Elephant Conservation Act.

    "I pulled him aside and we had a nice little talk," said Peltier with a grim smile.

    Before Peltier began inspections along the border, it was up to Customs agents to uncover the illegal importation of animals and animal parts. That was not something they had trained for, especially when it came to recognizing parts and pieces of thousands of different animals from around the world protected by a variety of laws.

    "There were no wildlife inspectors along the border 14 years ago. There were shipments coming and going through the border that should have been documented and others that were probably in violation," Peltier said. "U.S. Customs at that time didn't know much about Fish and Wildlife laws. They had so many other laws to enforce."

    A big part of Peltier's job has been to assist Customs agents, helping train them on what to look for in the trafficking of wildlife and wildlife parts that come across the international border. Today, Customs plays a much bigger role when it comes to wildlife related inspections.

    Hunters and fishermen cross the United States-Canadian border in large numbers, often returning with trophy mounts, migratory birds or fish. If the paperwork is in order, inspection at the border can go smoothly.

    "Certain species are required to be inspected. Others are done randomly," Peltier said. "For most of the border-crossing stuff, people need to file a Form 3-177. It's a declaration for importation or exportation of fish and wildlife - anglers not necessarily, but hunters are required to file a 3-177. A lot of people are not aware of all the regulations."

    Peltier tells of reluctantly turning away traveling bagpipers who were surprised to learn they were in violation of U.S. laws, and it had nothing to do with kilts or musical preference.

    "A lot of bagpipes have ivory ferrules on them," Peltier said. "I have refused border clearance to quite a few bagpipers, unfortunately, but they are not exempt from the law."

    It is the American appetite for many items, such as ivory carvings made from walrus or elephant tusk, that has led to laws prohibiting the import of such items. Some animals come under the protection of the Endangered Species Act or the Marine-Mammal Protection Act. Others come under the protection of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, or "CITES." To date, CITES involves nearly 160 countries, making it a globally recognized enforcement tool.

    "Hybrid animals, such as bison or several kinds of zebras, are not covered by the Endangered Species Act but they are covered under CITES," Peltier said.

    Ivory or whalebone carvings commonly are sold in Alaska and Canada. Sometimes they are very small items that are irresistible to unsuspecting tourists.

    "There's plenty of curio shops that sells figurines made of walrus items," Peltier said. "You can't bring those things into the United States. You'll have to abandon them at the border."

    The problems facing international agencies and wildlife can be found on various shelves and cases in a locked evidence room at the Dunseith border crossing.

    The room includes several whale baleens, 8 to 10 feet in length. Baleens are fringed plates from the upper jaw of several species of creel-eating whales, including the endangered bullhead whale that can tip the scales at 60 tons.

    "We not only have to know the laws, but species identification as well," Peltier said while holding up an ivory carving.

    Oddly enough, a carving made from the tusk of an extinct mastodon, or woolly mammoth, is not illegal to own because woolly mammoths are not covered by current wildlife laws. Peltier has learned to tell the difference between mammoth ivory and elephant ivory. If there is any doubt, he sends the item to a special Fish and Wildlife Service laboratory for positive identification.

    "These were on the dashboard of a motor home coming across the border," said Peltier, holding up a pair of skulls. "That made them pretty easy to find."

    One of the skulls was from a crocodile and the other from an alligator. Trafficking in reptiles and reptile skins is big business.

    "We get them all," Peltier said. "From cobra belts and boots to black mambas, pit vipers and rattlesnakes."

    More than one person attempting to cross the border has been a little startled when an agent pulls the boots off their feet or shoes out of their suitcase. If the footwear is made of anything reptilian, it is illegal.

    "People need to know, and usually do know, what they are buying," Peltier said. "If it's anything made from an animal, don't buy it."

    In one container, Peltier pulled out a cheetah pelt, a 25-foot long python skin, seal oil skin cream, pills made from elk antlers and several eagle feathers. The bottom of the container was covered with ivory carvings.

    "Do you know what this is?" Peltier asked, holding up a pair of bracelets. "They are made from elephant tail hair,"

    Many of the border inspections conducted by Peltier involve shows such as circuses that travel with many kinds of animals. It means paperwork, and plenty of it, but it's necessary to ensure that wildlife is not bought or sold illegally.

    "I've pretty much seen them all," Peltier said. "We've had boxing kangaroos, wrestling bears, shark shows, traveling snake shows, African trophies, whitetail deer shows and all kinds of birds. Every bird species has to be checked by Fish and Wildlife and by the Department of Agriculture."

    As for those bear gall bladders, he said, "I packaged them back up and did a controlled delivery on that one. I'm sure one of our guys went knocking on somebody's door, probably dressed like a delivery guy."

    Since the Fish and Wildlife Service has had a permanent presence along the border, the number of illegal wildlife-related items coming across has been reduced dramatically. Many people are becoming more aware of the plight of various species around the world.

    "Some people get pretty upset with us, but when they come to understand why we are actually doing a number of things, they settle down pretty well," Peltier said. "We are looking after the wildlife."

    http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?pa ... =D8VE24680
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  2. #2
    BigLake13's Avatar
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    We have a cockatoo that had to have a CITIES to cross from Montana to Canada back to Alaska. Our first year traveling we had her inspected by a vet within 30 days of crossing but did not know of the CITIES requirement. Yes we did go to the Canada crossing to verify what was required but being a pet, the way we read it meant she was not required. We were wrong and she could not cross. The next year we had applied for her CITIES. For those who are not aware of this, not only does it cost money $75.00 I think, we had to have proof that she was born in the U.S.A. She must have a vet inspection within 30 days of crossing, notify boarder 24 hours in advance of crossing and paperwork is stamped off at each crossing. We had to pay for inspection at US crossing too. So for those of you who are for "illegal aliens" crossing our boarders with out documents try taking an animal across. For cat & dog owners your pet must also be current on shots and have vet approval within 30 days of crossing.

    Is this a good law and practice at the boarder YES, pets are free of disease and shots are up to date. Lets do the same for illegal aliens crossing.

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