When Antle and Keith Wilson, the park’s former owner, began doing business in 2015, it was still legal to buy and sell lions, Welch said. But after lions were designated as an endangered species in December 2015, lions could only be traded between zoos and wildlife preserves that were part of an established breeding program and had permits. There were three illegal cub exchanges in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Welch said.
Antle was indicted in 2020 on several offences including felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy. In August 2019, 119 animals — including lions, tigers, bears, camels, goats and water buffalo — were seized from Wilson’s roadside zoo after a judge found that Wilson “cruelly treated, neglected, or deprived” the animals of adequate care.
Wilson testified that Antle paid him in advance under the guise of a donation. He said Antle paid $2500 to $3000 per cub with the exception of the 2017 transaction when Antle traded three lynx kittens for three lion cubs.
Wilson is charged with nine misdemeanour counts of animal cruelty and 10 felony counts of selling an endangered species and a hearing in his case is scheduled for Saturday NZ time.
Defence attorney Erin Harrigan called Antle’s prosecution politically motivated in response to a growing public outcry against wild animals being exploited for entertainment purposes.
“This has been an agenda in search of a crime from the beginning of the investigation,” Harrigan said.
Harrigan maintained the cubs were gifts and Antle sent Wilson donations for an expanded tiger habitat.
“These were not sales,” Harrigan said.
Iden allowed Antle, who faces up to 20 years in prison, to remain free on bond pending sentencing on September 14.
