[FEL-L] wolves smuggled into Florida from Texas

[Chufff at aol.com]

Gray wolf pups Anubis and Nova, both 16 weeks old, are now residents of the 
St. Augustine Wild Reserve after wildlife officers seized them from a couple in 
Jacksonville.
NICOLE L. CVETNIC/The Florida Times-Union

Last modified Tue., July 18, 2006 - 12:51 AM
Originally created Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Wildlife officers seize wolf pups from Mandarin home
A couple bought the animals legally in Texas but brought them to Florida 
without permits.
By KEN LEWIS, The Times-Union

Two gray wolf pups are now in the care of a St. Johns County preserve after 
officials said they were smuggled into Jacksonville from Texas.


Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission officers took the pups -- 
16-week-old Anubis and Nova -- to the St. Augustine Wild Reserve on Friday after 
seizing them from a Mandarin couple, Lt. Bruce Cockcroft said.

Spokeswoman Karen Parker said three misdemeanor citations were issued in the 
confiscation.

 The couple had bought the pups from a breeder in Texas, where it is legal to 
have wolves as pets. But it was a crime to have them in Florida without the 
proper permits, officials said.

"They have a mind of their own," reserve owner Deborah Warrick said. "They're 
wild animals. You can't train them to sit and stay."

The wolves, a male and a female, will be fed puppy kibble, red meat and 
chicken. They can grow to 150 pounds, Warrick said.

There are now 11 wolves at the sanctuary, including five from singer Michael 
Jackson. He gave them to the reserve a few years ago when he no longer wanted 
them at his Neverland Ranch in California, Warrick said.

There are about 100 animals in all at the sanctuary, including cougars, 
bobcats and lemurs.


ken.lewisjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4654

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