22/02/2010

Animal Action Praised

A man has been released on bail after being arrested in connection with the illegal trading of lemur monkeys.

The East Belfast DUP MLA Robin Newton has described the PSNI's weekend arrest of those who trade in endangered wild animals as good work. "I pay tribute to the Sunday Times undercover reporter and the USPCA staff who were involved in the work that led to the capture of the pet shop owner trading in endangered species.

"The latest revelations about illegal wild animal trading are more evidence of the heartless cruelty inflicted by human beings in what is supposed to be an animal loving society," he said.

"The scale of this illegal activity and the sums of money involved is huge. The penalties for this cruel trade do not deter those who have no respect for the beauty of a wild animal; they see it only as a commodity regardless of the animal's suffering," he said, suggesting that the PSNI, USPCA and DARD each need the support of concerned citizens to stamp out this type of animal cruelty.

"But the law also needs to address this type of awful cruelty with added seriousness," the Stormont Junior Minister concluded.

Four lemurs were seized on Friday from a shopping centre carpark in Banbridge, and another from a shop in Ballymena.

(BMcc/GK)

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