A collaborative effort between Northern Territory Police and Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife has resulted in the discovery of 51 animals illegally kept at a Noonamah property.
Executing a search warrant this morning, police and Parks and Wildlife rangers located a large quantity of snakes, lizards, monitors, sugar gliders, crocodiles and turtles, Northern Territory Police say.
A 24-year-old female and a 26-year-old male have both been served with notices to appear, each for multiple counts of Take Protected Wildlife, Possess Protected Wildlife and Possess Prohibited Wildlife.
This joint-agency effort comprised personnel from Parks & Wildlife – Wildlife Operations, Crocodile Management Team and Litchfield National Park as well as police from Batchelor, Adelaide River, Humpty Doo and West Arnhem District.
Department of Tourism and Culture Acting Director for Wildlife Operations, Tracey Duldig, said the taking and possession of illegal wildlife continues to be a threat to native animals.
"The maximum penalty for illegal taking or possessing protected wildlife is $77,000 or five years imprisonment. For threatened wildlife, the maximum penalty is $154,000 or 10 years imprisonment," said Ms Duldig.
At the conclusion of the thorough search of the property, some of the wildlife recovered was:
- 1 x 2.5m Leucistic (white) saltwater crocodile
- 1 x 1.8m freshwater crocodile
- Several crocodile hatchlings
- 2 x crocodile skull
- 1 x Jungle Python
- 1 x Woma Python
- 1 x Albino Burmese Python
- 1 x Keelback snake
- 20 x Carpet Python hatchlings
- 4 x Black Spotted Ridge Tailed Monitor
- 1 x Mertens’ Water Monitor
- 4 x sugar gliders
- 3 x long neck turtles
- 1 x turtle shell
Threatened Species as classified under the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act were also found.
The male and female are due to appear in Darwin Local Court on 14 September 2018.
