Published: June 12, 2008 02:36 pm         

Man charged with selling wild animals

POPLARVILLE — A Richland pet store owner who lives in Poplarville was charged with selling wild animals as pets without a permit and for selling alligators.

The Poplarville man, James Robert Bates, was arrested by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for having about eight different species and 40 wild animals in his pet store. Ricky Flynt, Alligator Program Coordinator for the department, said that of those animals, there were a number of American alligator hatchlings at Bates’ store, which is named Bird Cages for Less.

Flynt said it is illegal, even with a permit, to sell alligators as pets.

“Just the possession of live alligators in the state of Mississippi is illegal, period,” Flynt said.

Other animals at the store included red ear slider turtles, spiny soft shell turtles, gray rat snakes, ribbon snakes, decayes snakes, southern flying squirrels and three toed box turtles, Flynt said.

A number of phone calls and e-mails inquiring about the legality of selling alligators as pets tipped the department to the presence of the alligators in the store. To legally sell wild animals, merchants must acquire a permit from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and document where those few legal species were collected, Flynt said.

Some of the confiscated animals were visibly sick or in bad condition. Flynt said the confiscated animals will be observed to ensure they survive. Survivors will be taken to educational centers such as zoos or the Museum of Natural Science.

Flynt said since the area where the animals were collected was not documented it would not be wise to release them into the wild. Releasing those animals could pose a health risk to other wild animals.

“If they survive and he is found guilty, we would not feel safe releasing them back to the wild,” Flynt said.

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks’ investigation lead to 20 affidavits filed against Bates. Bates has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A trial has been set for August in Rankin County, according to an Associated Press story.

If found guilty, Bates could face fines up to $50,000. Prison time, if any, would be determined by the judgey, Flynt said.

Apparently Bates used to sell wild animals out of a Poplarville store. Debra Boswell with Mississippi Animal Cruelty said she is aware that Bates had a store in Poplarville and was found with more than 600 wild animals. Bates was charged with animal cruelty and the store was closed. Boswell said she did not work the case so she did not have further details. The person directly involved with the case was unavailable for comment at press time.

If anyone suspects live alligators are being sold in a store they can call Flynt at 601-432-2400.