Hunt for man who stole whale’s teeth – The Times

Police are hunting a grisly trophy hunter who was caught on camera cutting teeth from the mouth of a stranded sperm whale under the cover of night.
The unidentified man was photographed by a shocked onlooker as he hacked teeth from the jaw of a dead sperm whale by torchlight on Skegness beach in Lincolnshire.
Sperm whales are protected along with all whale, dolphin and porpoise species under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010. The regulations state that being in possession of any part of a sperm whale, whether the animal is alive or dead, or the sale or exchange of any such part is an offence punishable by six months in prison and an unlimited fine.
Daryl Hind posted the photographs on Facebook with the message: “Went up to see the dead whale last night and some sad act was cutting its teeth out. Name and shame this man please.”
Mr Hind, a laundry worker from Skegness, said: “I took the photo and told the bloke he was a very sad man.
“When I said to him ‘You’re a sad man, why are you doing that?’ his reply was ‘Do you know how much they’re worth?’ He was a trophy hunter.”
Sperm whale teeth can sell for as much as £200 on internet auction sites.
Nerys McGarry, a spokeswoman for Lincolnshire police, said that wildlife crime officers were investigating whether the taking of teeth constituted an offence under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Chief Inspector Jim Tyner said: “The sad deaths of these animals have generated considerable fascination and large numbers of people have been coming to Skegness to look at them.
“However, people need to be aware that touching the creatures is a risk to health and taking ‘trophies’ is against the law.
“Anyone removing teeth or other parts of the whales may be committing a serious offence, the penalty for which can be quite significant.”
Police have asked for anyone with further information to contact them on 101.
Several sperm whales have been found on British beaches recently, beginning on Friday with the death of one stranded Hunstanton, Norfolk. Three more were found near Skegness over the weekend and a fifth was found at Wainfleet in Lincolnshire on Monday.
All five animals were juvenile males believed to be part of a bachelor pod that has become trapped in the North Sea. Twelve other members of the pod have been found dead on Texel, a Dutch island, and the German islands of Wangerooge and Helgoland since January 9.
November 07 2024, 12.00am
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