Then why would the following happen?
The Tewksbury Institute of Herpetology was organized as a non-profit organization in NJ in 2002. This great organization functioned as an international center committed to preserving endangered turtles and tortoises. One of their programs was to create and maintain assurance colonies of some critically engandered turtles and tortoises. Assurance colonies are long-term projects who's goal is to produce endangered species in hopes of maintaining a viable population which would serve as an insurance colony of sorts for critically endangered species should something happen to their wild counterparts.
For many years now, Richard Ogust, the foundere of of Tewksbury has maintained assurance colonies that are incredibly vast consisting of over 115 species including some of the world's most critically endangered chelonian species. TIH's holdings are the largest of their type anywhere in the US and even on an international level. Richard thought he had found the perfect place for TIH to call home near Tewksbury NJ which encompassed 20 acres of clear meadows, 28 acres of forest habitat, and 2 streams and a dairy barn complex. The site was family owned and the landowners eagerly welcomes Richard and TIH. TIH recieved funding from private donors, grants, and the sale of aquatic plants to build the ultimate chelonian conservation center.
In 2003 TIH was approved by the NJ DEC for a scientific holding facility and in April of '04 he began moving some of the colonies to this site. This was something that the state had been informed of, and TIH had to file detailed plans in order to obtain their permits.
This is when the problems began.
The NJ DEC believed that TIH was strictly a research institute and when they realized that 1,600 chelonians would actually be housed there they began a campaign of harassment and intimidation without any warning. In May, the DEC sent TIH a letter ordering them to stop bringing animals into the state. TIH immediately complied with this order and began attempting to regain the favor of the DEC. The DEC refused to inform the institute of where they went wrong and repeated phone calls requesting a meeting to resolve the problem went UNANSWERED, go figure. They were finally told by a high-ranking official that they were considered in violation because their permits were site-specific, and they were not technically within the boundaries of the town of Tewksbury (!). The land owner caught in the midst of the malay had a change of heart and decided not to lease the land to the institute.
Richard Ogust is not an easily deterred man, and he struggled to keep TIH moving forward. His entreaties to the state of NJ were finally answered by means of a letter from the DEC ordering removal of all animals by January 26, 2005. This was all they could take and rather than become entangled in a lengthy legal battle, sadly the decision was made to discontinue TIH's programs.
In the stroke of a pen, the NJ DEC has earned the distinction of doing more harm to destroy this massive conservation effort than any other governing organization.
When will the anti-herp movement in our state end?
Now more than ever it's important to ban together and face this rediculous wave of anti-herp legislation that is not only affecting the private hobbyist but any organization that wishes to call our state home and provide much needed herp preservation and education.
Some of you out there think that the state regulations are reasonable but this is simply not the case. Why is it that you can recieve up to a 5,000 fine for selling baby Brazilian rainbow boas to a pet shop but yet do not require a permit to keep a herd of ostriches in your back yard that can eviscerate an adult human???
The reply I got from USF&W is that they want to keep a paper trail of what exotic reptiles are moved around in state but yet they have 1 PERSON working in the exotics permitting department who's supposed to shuffle all of this data?? Try to call the exotics permitting dept with a question and see how long it takes to get a reply...
I have been a firsthand witness to some of this madness and granted, there are some real idiots out there who deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law for unlawful, illegal, and dangerous possesion of venomous reptiles and practices surrounding keeping these animals but the vast majority of dedicated herpers shun this type of irrepsonsible herp keeping.
I have worked side by side with the NJF&W in my capacity as a professional herpetologist and I am a staunch supporter of much of their field and conservation efforts to protect our native fauna and regulate the keeping of animals, but sometimes they take things a bit too far.
The NJHS will soon gain a second wind and start up again thanks to its founder Bob Sposato, it's my hopes that dedicated herpers will join and unite to voice what is most important for the hobbyists, breeders, even just admirers of these wonderful scaley creature.
Danny Mendez
For more info on Tewksbury Herpetological Institute and to help defer the costs of relocating many of its animals to qualified individuals and institutions please visit www.tiherp.com
