Floyd Patterson III and his wife, Dawn, have been sentenced to gaol, fines and community service for running "hunts" on their California ranch where captive tigers, leopards and pumas were shot for high fees.
Patterson was charged with 27 misdemeanors involving illegal possession and transportation of animals and parts of animals on the endangered species list. It was stated in court that hunters were charged $3,500 to shoot the animals, which were released from cages. Patterson was sentenced to 180 days gaol and $28,200 in fines. His wife was order to perform 200 hours of community service and fined $14,000. Both were put on probation for three years.
It was reported earlier (CAT NEWS 15) that one tiger was shot in its cage, while other animals were tranquilized and tied to trees. Video tapes were seized showing black jaguars, tigers, leopards and pumas being shot on the Patterson property by hunters from all over the USA.
Time magazine, which said the operations were called "canned hunts", reported that hunting guides Daniel Lee Moody and Ronald Terrell McCloud had been indicted for unlawfully conspiring to sell and transport a black leopard. It described a vidoe tape showing the leopard being released from a cage and running under a nearby truck. A pack of dogs flushed it out of hiding and a hunter from Louisiana shot it for $3,000. References« Back to Search Results Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges. For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.
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