Stiff sentence for keeping lion cub

Found guilty in the eSikhaleni Regional Court on Thursday for illegally importing and keeping a lion cub, a man was fined R40 000 or four years imprisonment. Trevor C Oertel, of the SA National Birds of Prey Centre, was charged under the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Ordinance on three counts - importation, transportation and keeping in captivity specially protected game without a valid permit. Oertel was arrested six years ago at the Harbour Lights Holiday Resort where he used the lioness cub for display purposes and at schools in the area. Testimonies highlighted the possibility of introducing bovine tuberculosis via the lioness cub as potentially disastrous to the surrounding rural community’s cattle. No veterinary certificates were introduced by the defence to indicate that the cub had been tested prior to entering KZN. Advocate Dalene Barnard from the Director of Public Prosecutions Office in Pietermaritzburg, argued that Oertel was informed that he had to have a permit to bring the cub into the province. The State also argued that the holding facility at Harbour Lights holiday resort was inadequate and that the cub, although only six months old, posed a possible threat to visitors to the resort. Mr Oertel told the court that he had applied for the permits, but was still waiting. Magistrate TS Ngesi, in his judgment, said that he should have applied well in advance and not expect authorities to drop everything in order to deal with his application. Half of Oertel’s sentence was suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of similar or related charges during the period of suspension. Oertel may also not apply for permits under the KZN Nature Conservation Ordinance for 12 months.

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