The Czech Ministry of the Environment (MŽP ČR) took away the lioness Elsa, which he kept illegally, from the wrestler Karlos Vémol. TASR informed the department about this on Tuesday, saying that for the time being it will be housed in the Liberec Zoo.
According to the Ministry of Vémola, he was unable to prove the legal origin of the animal, which is protected by the International Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), similar to the case of the already confiscated tigress Ramba.
“The Czech Environmental Inspection decided to confiscate the lioness in February, because the breeder was unable to prove the legal origin of the animal. The owner did not appeal against the decision and the animal thus became the property of the state. Without proper documentation and permission, the breeder exposes himself not only to the risk of confiscation of the animal, but also to criminal penalties for unauthorized handling of endangered species,” said Jiří Mach from the Department of Species Protection of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic.
The lioness has her claws completely removed from her front limbs and is severely handicapped for further socialization with other individuals of her species. Therefore, the department, in cooperation with international organizations, is looking for a suitable facility for her, in which she would have individual access. Removing the claws not only damages the health, but also changes the behavior of the animal. The beast can no longer, for example, climb trees, defend itself against another animal’s attack, or mark its territory by scratching. “Animals are also more prone to health problems, such as back pain or imbalance,” the ministry explained.
The MMA fighter expressed himself even before the police intervention in a video on the social network. “It’s unbelievable how our authorities pulled out again. I don’t want to believe that it’s not some kind of targeted bullying, because they decided to take this love that I’ve had here as the first member of Vémoland for 6 years and take it away.” he said.
“Not that I don’t have a permit or that there’s something wrong with the breeding, but because I have bad papers for her, they don’t look at the animal’s welfare again. They don’t care at all. They want to tear her away from what she is used to. I simply do not believe that an animal is a thing and should be treated according to papers. They shouldn’t tear her away. I have been fighting for many months and many years, but unfortunately we have finished the fight and they want to come for her. It is one of the saddest events of this year for me. I’m sorry, it sucks,” he added.
CITES covers more than 40,000 species of animals and plants. It concerns not only living organisms, but also their parts and products from them – for example, a handbag made of crocodile skin, a statuette made of ivory or fragments of coral. The goal is to protect endangered species by regulating trade, the Czech ministry pointed out. Affected animals and plants cannot therefore be transported across borders without a special permit.
Vémola is currently involved in the case of drug distribution from abroad to the Czech Republic. According to the police, he was part of an organized group that smuggled cocaine on a large scale. They allegedly transported drugs hidden in trucks to Great Britain, the Czech Republic and, in one case, to Russia. Vémola was arrested by criminal investigators last year before Christmas, he was released from custody on bail of 15 million crowns (approximately 620,000 euros). He is currently being investigated at large and if found guilty faces up to 18 years in prison.
