Hi i want to know if i can obtain a leopard hide or whole frozen from a game farm or zoo . And if it is leagel Thanks!
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You can only obtain a cat of this type from a private breeder/dealer in your area.
It must be purchased in your state as the CITES laws do not permit interstate sale or transport of spotted dead cats. There is an exception that has been recently passed allowing the sale of captive-raised tigers, however. That is because the gene pool is so diluted, there are few, if any, full blooded Siberian or Bengal tigers being bred. You still need proof that the cat was euthanized in the legal framework of the rules and all the papers, which are described below.
And no, leopards, jaguars, and all the other spotted cats are not included in this exception.
Zoos and other public facilities are not in the habit of giving or selling their dead animals. And unless you're real good at what you do, you would be hard pressed to put one back together after they perform their necropsy (autopsy in humans) on it! After that, they generally incinerate the animal.
After all that, if you do find an animal breeder/dealer in your area (state) make sure you have all the proper paperwork! A receipt of sales is not enough. You also need a copy of the sellers USDA and USDI certificates for their ownership of the cat, as well as those number written by the seller on the invoice.
Lastly, any spotted or striped cat is protected from being killed for their hide! If the animal was ill, or had become dangerous, are the only time the owners of such a cat allowed to kill them outright. Killing them so a taxidermist can have a trophy is illegal!
And, as the Federal authorities that oversee these people are always making pop inspections, many of them are not willing to get caught shooting a caged and captive animal just to sell their hide. That's called "canned hunting!"
Not to mention it is a despicable thing to do anyway!
And in case anyone is wondering, all the captive big cats I have ever obtained were of older animals that had some malady of their age, or an animal that died for one reason or another. I never received an animal that was put to death just for me. And that's why I cannot obtain all these cats that I still get requests for.
Best regards to you and yours,
John Bellucci