New York Man Busted for Attempting To Sell This Leopard

You can search New York State far and wide and you will not find a leopard in the wild. Not in Buffalo, Ballston Spa or Beacon. The only place that you might find a leopard in New York is at the Bronx Zoo, Seneca Zoo, Staten Island Zoo, etc. So how did one appear in Delaware County?

An individual was allegedly attempting to sell a full-body leopard mount, which is illegal in New York without proper permits.

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In May 2024, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) press release, DEC officers teamed with the United Stated Fish and Wildlife Service for an investigation of the sale of an endangered/protected specied.

Following their investigation is was determined that a full-bodied leopard mount had been listed for sale via a social media account with an asking price of $2,500. Officers were able to track down the seller and determined he did not have proper permits.

Investigators responded to the sellers location during the transaction. It was at this moment that officers were able to seize the leopard mount and charge the individual with commercialization of endangered wildlife, which is a felony due to the value of the mount.

On Monday July 29th the Delaware County resident settled charges related to the illegal commercialization of endangered species. As part of this resolution, the seller agreed to pay a $2500 fine and forfeit the leopard mount.