Jamaica’s National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has taken a tough stance on the practice of some Jamaicans going overboard in buying pets as Christmas gifts, Loop Jamaica reports.
NEPA has issued a warning to members of the public that the ‘gifted’ pets list should not include protected species.
Numbered among the protected species are the yellow-billed parrot, the black-billed parrot, the crested quail dove, the Jamaican parakeet, the American crocodile and the Jamaican boa, which is commonly known as the yellow snake.
NEPA has warned that it is an offence under the Wild Life Protection Act, to possess, hunt, kill, capture or willfully molest any protected animal in Jamaica.
The agency has advised that the full list of species covered by the Act is available on its website.
The penalty for infringing the Act is a maximum fine of $100,000 or one year imprisonment, upon conviction.
NEPA has urged members of the public to report any illegal activities relative to protected animal species to its offices or the nearest police station.
Repeating Islands 