DEA officials, alerted early in the investigation that suspected drug traffickers possessed the cub, called in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent Timothy Santel from the Services Springfield, Illinois, law enforcement office. Santel joined other state and Federal law enforcement officials on the DEA Task Force with the goal of tracking down the whereabouts of the tiger cub. Santel and his colleagues learned during the investigation that a Bengal tiger had been obtained in Missouri as part of a drug deal worth about $6,000 in illegal narcotics.
The raid was carried out July 29, 1997, and nine suspects were arrested in Columbia, Illinois, and nearby Granite City. As agents searched and gathered evidence, they found and confiscated 120 pounds of narcotics, $100,000 in cash, dozens of weapons, even vehicles, a race car and a house -- but no tiger cub. Further questioning of one of the suspects revealed the cub had been stashed with an acquaintance in Mount Vernon, Illinois. The tiger was soon located, and Santel took charge of the 7-month-old cub.
Santel says the tiger cub is in good health and is being cared for by agents in the Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement office in Chicago. Although only 7 months old, Santel reports the cub is already showing signs of his potential strength. Hes cute now, but definitely a tiger. I cant imagine what hell be like when hes an adult and weighs 300 pounds.
Since most zoos have their quotas of Bengal tigers, this cub will find a home at a wildlife sanctuary out West as soon as travel arrangements can be worked out. Bengal tigers, like other species of tigers, are considered endangered, and Federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act, restrict trade, possession, and interstate commerce in the animals. In addition, the state of Illinois prohibits possession of tigers and other types of wildlife under the Illinois Dangerous Animals Act.
It is not unusual that a tiger is a part of a narcotics deal, said Santel. Unlawful trade in wildlife is often related to the illegal drug trade in the United States. It is unfortunate that wildlife becomes part of the fallout, along with human victims, of these activities. The Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that illegal wildlife trade in the United States amounts to about $5 billion annually.
According to Santel, wildlife is often found linked with drug trafficking. Dealers have been known to use venomous snakes to guard caches of narcotics, and drugs are sometimes smuggled inside snakes and other animals.
Santel also noted that animals like Tigger, while appealing as cubs, are extremely difficult to keep. While there are instances where people, such as captive breeders, may keep these animals legally, in general it is not a good idea, he said. They are incredibly powerful and require specialized care and attention that only places like zoos and wildlife sanctuaries provide. Sadly, many captive animals outside these facilities dont get that attention.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the primary Federal agency responsible for conserving, enhancing, and protecting the countrys fish, wildlife, and their habitats. The Services Law Enforcement Branch includes special agents who enforce Federal wildlife laws and regulations, and the Wildlife Inspection Program, which ensures compliance with wildlife import and export laws.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was one of several agencies participating on the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, headed by DEA. Other agencies included the Illinois State Police, the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois, the Monroe County Sheriffs Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the U.S. Customs Service, and the Internal Revenue Service.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
