READING – Three Bristol Township, Bucks County, residents were found guilty of unlawful possession, obtaining wildlife without the proper permits and importation violations of wildlife. District Magistrate Robert Wagner of Levittown heard arguments from Pennsylvania Game Commission officials charging Charlene Leonard and Kimberly Leonard of Levittown, and Edward Barbee of Croydon, with possessing two monkeys without obtaining permits to import and possess the monkeys.
Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer Glen Campbell learned of the monkeys after a report was filed with Bristol Township Police Department alleging that one of the monkeys bit a relative of Barbee.
“Humane Officer Nicole Wilson, of the Women’s Humane Society in Bucks County, alerted me to the incident and, after conducting a background investigation, it became apparent that the monkeys were unlawfully imported into Pennsylvania,” said Campbell.
The Game Commission is charged with regulating the importation of wild mammals and birds into the commonwealth to ensure that people who possess wildlife obtain the proper training and education prior to being granted any of the various permits governing the possession of wildlife. Permits are never issued for monkeys or other primates to be held as private pets.
Wildlife conservation officers inspect approved facilities for cleanliness and conformity to regulatory requirements of cage sizes, disease detection, and basic care for wildlife. Regulations set forth by the Board of Game Commissioners seek to protect the health, safety and welfare of the wildlife being possessed, as well as the health, safety and welfare of the public.
“While the danger of exotic mammals such as large wild cats and canines may be obvious, even smaller wildlife, such as monkeys, can bite, scratch and carry diseases dangerous to humans,” added Campbell.
The monkeys were seized from the homes of the defendants after officers from the Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission were granted search warrants. The monkeys were transported to a primate facility near Harrisburg, where they were quarantined and monitored for possible signs of disease. The monkeys continue to be housed at great expense to the primate facility, and have been placed in an appropriate enclosure that mimics, as best as possible, the habitat for their species.
“The commonwealth is acting in the best interests of the health and safety of humans, native wildlife and captive wildlife, by ensuring that strict guidelines and procedures are followed by qualified and properly permitted citizens of Pennsylvania to possess wildlife,” concluded Campbell.