Pocono News Section

Man Pleads Guilty To Illegal Possession of Wild Animals

Man Pleads Guilty To Illegal Possession of Wild Animals - Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 4:16PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Thursday, Oct 29, 2009 @ 04:16pm EDT
TANNERSVILLE, MONROE COUNTY - A Monroe County man pleaded guilty to charges related to harming protected animals.

Stephen Moore of Tannersville was charged with 60 counts of cruelty to animals and sixty counts of illegally possessing protected animals.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission says Stephen Moore made traps and captured more than 60 song birds. Investigators say they found the birds in Moore's home in June.

Tim Conway works for the Commission. He said, "As we went in - the amonia smell - from - you know - urine and things like that - it was pretty deplorable."

They didn't just found birds. Investigators also found a woodchuck, three squirrels and two raccoons. One of the racoons had grown too fat to get out of its cage. Conway said, "We tried for several days to get it out it just would not come out so we had to euthanize it."

The Game Commission said Moore kept those animals in his basement. It has no windows and there was just a small fan for ventilation. Conway said, "As soon as we took them out and their cages got into the sunshine these birds started singing."

Kathy Uhler is the director at the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. She nursed the birds back to health. She said, "Several had over grown beaks and feet. They had been in capitivity for some time and so they needed to be treated for those conditions."

Eighteen of the birds were too sick to save. Uhler said, "My mission as a wildlife center is to help out whenever I can in these situations."

The care cost the center about $1,200. The judge ordered Moore to pay back $750 of that.

Moore pleaded guilty to illegally possessing thirty animals. In addition to paying the Wildlife Center, he'll have to pay the Game Commission more than $2,000 in fines.