Jaguar Cub Controversy Ends in Fine

A viral moment with a jaguar cub has now turned into a legal consequence. Ruben Stoll, the Belizean man seen earlier this month handling a wild jaguar cub in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, has been charged and fined under the Wildlife Protection Act. The Forest Department says Stoll voluntarily returned to Belize and surrendered to authorities, after public outrage over the incident sparked renewed calls for stronger enforcement of wildlife laws. He has since paid a one-thousand-dollar fine. But authorities say the issue does not end with this one incident: jaguars are protected, wild animals are not pets or photo props, and anyone who disturbs them can face the law.

 

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