Illinois: Ten-hour standoff between cops, 3-foot lizard ends peacefully

ILLINOIS -- A 3-foot pet lizard held authorities at bay for more than 10 hours Wednesday after it holed up in a storm drain in Yorkville.

By the time the 6-year-old female lizard was finally secure, it was about 9 p.m., said Yorkville police Deputy Chief Terry Klingel.

Yorkville police responded to a "found animal" report at 10:36 a.m. Wednesday near Cannonball Trail and Fairhaven Drive.

The monitor lizard, which has not been named, had been in a drainage ditch "basking in the sun," police said in a statement.

When an officer saw the lizard, it immediately retreated into a storm drain, police said.

Considering the "possible territorial and aggressive nature" of the animal, and how close it was to residential homes, authorities decided they should to try to get it out of the drain safely, according to a news release from the Police Department.

Monitor lizards typically live on islands in the southwest Pacific, Australia, Africa south of the Sahara, and south and southeast Asia, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Monitors include 50 species that can range from 8 inches to 10 feet long, and most are carnivorous, according to the encyclopedia.

Klingel said he had no clue about the monitor's species.

Officials with the Department of Natural Resources, Kendall County Animal Control and the Bristol Kendall Fire Department became involved, making what police described as "numerous attempts to extract the lizard" as the day wore on.

"Multiple times, the lizard came within inches of the openings only to re-enter the storm drain and avoid capture," police stated.

Following a series of failed attempts, the team tried a new strategy, blocking off one side of the drain pipe and setting a live trap on the other side, police stated.

Meanwhile, as many as 30 people had gathered to watch the activity, Klingel said.

"Once all the excitement calmed down and most individuals were gone, the lizard emerged," police said in the statement.

The live trap caught the lizard without hurting it, police said.

A qualified zoologist cared for the lizard until its owner showed up, reportedly unaware of how it got away, according to the statement.

Authorities determined the lizard was legally owned and appropriately housed in Illinois. Police said no charges had been filed against the owner, and the investigation is ongoing.

Laura Pawson, director of Kendall County Animal Control, said during her time on scene, she barely caught a glimpse of the lizard when its head peeked out from the drain.

Animal Control doesn't deal with lizards much, and handling this one involved a lot of brainstorming among the agencies who responded, Pawson said. They considered some kind of trap early on, but worked out other ideas while waiting on equipment, she said.

"It was more about trying to be patient, trying to wait for (it) to pop (its) little head up and see if we could possibly maybe get (it) with a catch pole," Pawson said.

Though the situation was unusual, it wasn't stressful and turned out to be a good learning experience, Pawson said. She said there is certainly one thing she learned from the situation.

"I guess there is no quick way to get something out of a drain if it doesn't want to come out," Pawson said.

(Chicago Tribune - August 31, 2017)

Florida: Arrested back in January along with his 'doobie brother' Daniel Lawlor, Ashtyn Rance has additional charges filed against him

FLORIDA -- Back in January, Ashtyn and Daniel were heading down the road in their oh-so-stylish blue Mom Jeans minivan. Ashtyn was driving but apparently hit the bong a bit too hard. A cop spotted him "driving erratically" and pulled him over.

Walking up to the van, the cop immediately smelled the pot which gave him enough probable cause to yank them out of the van. Inside the van, they found more than 100 small critters destined for Emerald Coral & Reptiles Pet Store (which is apparently under investigation for allegedly purchasing non-permitted wildlife and re-selling them with possibly falsified permits or on the black market).

It didn't appear that the animals had been abused or neglected. I'm sure these two idiots got paid per animal so it wasn't in their best interests to arrive at Emerald Coral & Reptiles with a van full of dead reptiles.

The problem is: neither Ashtyn nor Daniel had the proper permits for these animals. Where did they get them? Who knows? But the cops called Florida Fish and Wildlife who came out, photographed, inventoried all the animals, and threw some initial charges at the two potheads.

The few hermit crabs and the red snake are native to Florida so they released them to live happily ever after. However, the iguanas, lizards and geckos were not so lucky.

 

NOTHING TO SMILE ABOUT
They killed this little lizard for no reason except he wasn't
native to Florida and the 2 men did not have permits for him.

Wildlife officers KILLED ALL 76 OF THE IGUANAS, LIZARDS AND GECKOS.

Why? What did they do to deserve death?

Because they're not native to Florida, they couldn't be released. So? Assign the proper permits to the animals and send them to a qualified reptile rescue. But, see, wildlife agencies don't do that. It's easier for them to simply kill the animals.

Anyway, looks like Ashtyn Rance picked up some additional charges since the January arrest and the judge slapped a $65,000 bond on him so he might still be cooling his jets at the county jail right now.

Fort Pierce man jailed in sale of pink toe tarantulas, boas, other exotics
TC Palm - June 2, 2017

A Fort Pierce man accused of improperly selling a variety of exotic animals, including pink toe tarantulas and Brazilian rainbow boas, was arrested on more than 10 charges, according to records released this week.

Ashtyn Michael Rance, 31, of the 10300 block of Orange Avenue in Fort Pierce, was arrested Wednesday on 12 misdemeanor counts of possession of captive wildlife for commercial or sanctuary purposes without a permit and a single misdemeanor count related to having a nile monitor.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigation began after Rance in May 2016 was denied a license for the commercial sale/exhibit/display of so-called Class III wildlife, which includes skunks, parrots, snakes, geckos, finches, foxes and frogs.

By comparison, Class I wildlife includes lions, hippopotamuses, bears and elephants — animals “that pose a significant danger to people,” according to the FWC. Class II wildlife, which also can pose a danger, includes bobcats, howler monkeys, dwarf crocodiles and wolverines.

In June 2016, an investigator reported seeing Rance in Hillsborough County at a reptile exposition with Class III wildlife for commercial purposes.

A month after that, investigators got information “on Facebook that Rance continued to commercially sell captive wildlife without a license.” Rance also posted pictures of himself importing creatures from Guyana, records show.

Investigators said that Rance on a Facebook page stated he used another entity’s license, but investigators say that license is for a different address in Palm Bay and in Rance’s case is not allowed.

Other records gotten through a Facebook search warrant and PayPal subpoena show arrangements for payment from people via PayPal for animals including collared lizards, red foot tortoises and blue iguanas.

Rob Klepper, a spokesman for FWC, said whether the people who bought the creatures did anything inappropriate depends on the laws of their state. At least one person was in Colorado and one in Georgia.

“His violations were in regards to the sale of these animals, not necessarily the possession,” Klepper said.

One $2,720 direct deposit was for a variety of creatures including 10 Nile monitors. It’s illegal to possess those without a permit, Klepper said.

Nile monitors are non-native lizards that can grow to more than 5 feet and weigh nearly 15 pounds.

Rance was cited two previous times by FWC, and warned four previous times, according to Klepper.

Records provided by FWC show Rance in 2014 was convicted of possession of a venomous reptile without a license in Brevard County. That related to a dusky pygmy rattlesnake.

Rance was also convicted of cruelty to animals in 2006 in Palm Beach County.

“The FWC promotes responsible ownership of captive wildlife, and it is the goal of the FWC to develop the best regulations possible that provide for public safety, animal welfare, and the legitimate use of wildlife for educational, exhibition, or personal purposes,” Klepper said via email. “Florida’s captive wildlife regulations are among the most stringent in the nation.”

Rance was held Friday in the St. Lucie County Jail on $65,000 bail, a jail official said.

ARREST INFO:
Full Name: Ashtyn Michael Rance
Sex: Male
Race: White
Arrest Age: 31
Date: 05/31/2017
Time: 4:46 PM
Arresting Agency: Florida Fish and Wildlife
Location: St. Lucie County, Florida
Total Bond: $65,000
Charges
#1 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#2 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#3 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#4 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#5 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#6 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#7 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#8 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#9 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#10 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#11 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#12 Exhibition And Sale Of Wildlife W/o A Permit. BOND: $5000
#13 Possession Of Prohibited Reptile. BOND: $5000

  

Earlier:

• Florida: Daniel Lawlor and Ashtyn Rance arrested after authorities found 114 lizards and hermit crabs in their van. Florida Fish & Wildlife KILLED SEVENTY-SIX OF THESE ANIMALS FOR NO GOOD REASON!

Ledyard police shoot monitor lizard

CONNECTICUT -- For several months, Ledyard police and town animal control officers have fielded reports of a monitor lizard seen by residents at various spots in the eastern part of Ledyard.

On Sunday afternoon, Ledyard police killed one, after a resident reported sighting an “alligator” killing her chickens.

Police said that at 3:27 p.m. Sunday, Ledyard dispatchers received a 911 call from a Shewville Road resident about what she believed to be alligator in her chicken coop.

This photo provided by Ledyard Police Department, taken in July,
shows a monitor lizard. For several months, police and town
animal control officers have been receiving sightings of the animal in
the eastern part of Ledyard. Police could not confirmed this lizard
was the one killed Monday afternoon.

Officers from the Ledyard Police Department and the Ledyard animal control officer responded to the scene and found a reptile believed to be a monitor lizard attacking the resident’s chickens. Police said they were forced to shoot and kill the lizard to prevent “further risk to livestock, domestic animals and human life.”

Police did not identify the resident or her address.

Ledyard residents said Monday that although they have seen coyotes and similar animals roaming local backyards and woods, a monitor lizard is a different story.

“We saw a coyote probably two months ago,” Coachman Pike resident W.E. Smith said.

“I usually hear about coyotes or raccoons eating chickens,” Erik Thompson said. “I’ve seen coyotes and bobcats. … Never a lizard.”

“On occasion we would see fisher cats,” Pumpkin Hill Road resident Ruth Coletto said.

Brian Kleinman of Riverside Reptiles, a Hartford-based group that does live reptile and amphibian demonstrations, says it’s likely the lizard was a pet that escaped its outdoor enclosure.

That’s my guess — that it was kept outside for summer and the owner didn’t make a strong-enough enclosure,” he said. “Since they are illegal, the owner probably wouldn’t come forward. Unfortunately, it’s the lizard that pays the price.”

Kleinman said monitors are extremely intelligent and don’t make good pets. He also said they aren’t dangerous if left alone.

“They don’t go after people,” he said. “They are dangerous if you grab them. They have sharp teeth and sharp claws. They wouldn’t go after a child or anything. They are fairly shy animals.”

Smith said he opposes keeping exotic animals as pets.

“I think it’s stupid,” he said. “Like that woman who was mauled by the ape,” kept as a pet in 2009 in Stamford. “It tempts fate.”

In 2009, environmental officers ticketed a man for having a 4-foot-long white-throated monitor in a tractor-trailer in Bozrah.

Kleinman said that it may not have been necessary to shoot the lizard. But, reptile experts in this region aren’t common, and “police aren’t trained to deal with exotic animals. It’s kind of overkill but you have to look at it from their point of view,” he said.

Monitor lizards eat by attacking and overpowering small animals, said Kleinman, who called them “opportunistic carnivores. They will catch and eat anything they can. They have been known to eat cobras. They will steal crocodile eggs.”

Police remind residents that reptiles such as monitor lizards are illegal in Connecticut and can be extremely dangerous. Residents are not encouraged to keep them as pets.

(Norwich Bulletin - Aug 27 2013)