Illegal acquisition and sale of spiders Man sentenced to 8 months in prison

Shanxi Evening News (reporter Guo Weiyan) Recently, the Environmental Resources Circuit Court of the Taiyuan Wanbailin District People's Court held a public hearing in accordance with the law to hear Li Mou's case of illegally purchasing and selling rare and endangered wild animals and pronounced a verdict in court. On November 26, the Shanxi Higher People's Court released the case through its WeChat public account.

On June 1, 2019, defendant Li illegally purchased 20 Mexican firefoot bird catcher spiders from his WeChat friends at a price of RMB 4 each. On October 17 of the same year, defendant Li sold 10 Mexican hamper catching bird spiders to Mu Mou, a pet supply distributor shop operator in Wanbailin District, Taiyuan City, at a price of RMB 35 per piece. On July 1, 2020, the public security police seized 14 Mexican red-knee bird-catching spiders and 4 Mexican gold-backed red-tailed bird-catching spiders in their rented accommodations. According to the identification, the Mexican red-knee bird-catching spider, the Mexican firefoot bird-catching spider and the Mexican gold-backed red-tailed bird-catching spider involved in the case are all Appendix II species of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CIES) and are precious and endangered wild animals.

Li Mou's illegal acquisition and sale of rare and endangered wild animals under key national protection has constituted the crime of illegally acquiring and selling rare and endangered wild animals, and should be punished according to law. Based on the facts, nature, circumstances, and degree of harm to society of defendant Li X's crime, as well as the circumstances of voluntary surrender and the performance of admitting guilt and accepting punishment, defendant Li X was sentenced to 8 months' imprisonment and fined 2,000 yuan for the crime of illegally purchasing and selling rare and endangered wild animals.

China promulgated the Wildlife Protection Law in 1988, the purpose of which is to protect and save rare and endangered wild animals, protect, develop and rationally utilize wildlife resources, and maintain ecological balance. Through the trial of this case, the severe punishment of criminals not only effectively deters criminal acts endangering wild animals, but also helps the public to improve their awareness of the importance of biodiversity, and has a good exemplary role in educating and warning the public to establish legal awareness, consciously resist illegal trade in wild animals, and promote harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

(Editor-in-charge: Ma Yunmei)