Stoll Fined for Handling Jaguar Cub as Authorities Pursue Brother

A viral encounter with a jaguar cub has landed one of the men involved in legal trouble. Ruben Stoll has returned to Belize, surrendered to the Forest Department, and paid a one-thousand-dollar fine for handling the protected animal. Forest Officer Victoria Chi says Stoll apologized and acknowledged the risks of interfering with wildlife. But authorities say his brother, Victor Stoll, has not turned himself in and continues to deny any wrongdoing. Officials hope the case sends a clear message: admire wildlife from a distance and leave it undisturbed.

 

Victoria Chi, Forest Officer

“I think  he landed, in Belize around one thirty, by two thirty, he was already at the Belmopan office, willing to take his charge. I explained to him. I read to him what was the charge, if he was agreeing to it. He agreed to it, and we then proceeded to charge him. He was charged one thousand dollars. I know a lot of persons are saying one thousand is nothing, but that’s all we could fine him with the current legislation. I can’t say, “Well, I will charge him ten thousand dollars. I wish I could have, but we could, we could not. “We must bear in mind that these animals are wild animals. These animals also do carry a lot of diseases. It’s not just picking them up just like that and feeling you can kiss them and you can do anything with them or touch them, and then you touch your face, and they come with a lot of diseases, and if you get a scratch and you get infected, you will come with a lot of diseases as well. And then you put more people at risk when it comes to that. So the take-home message is leave the wildlife where they are. You can see them, you can observe them from afar, take pictures if you want, but don’t go into their surroundings and come in close contact with them. Mr. Ruben is the one that actually pet the jaguar, the cub, so he’s the one that was fined. We’re not saying we’re not charging Mr. Victor, but Mr. Victor, he still is of the belief that what he did was not wrong and he feels that what his brother did was not wrong. So, there’s the difference between two brothers. Mr. Ruben is saying he will try to convince his brother.”

 

Forest Department officials say they have issued a warning to the Immigration Department to be on the lookout for Victor Stoll so that he can be fined if he returns to Belize.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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