A sheriff has deferred sentence on a former Perthshire man who tried to sell two ring-tailed lemurs on the internet as he wants to ascertain just how endangered the species is.
Perth Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday how inspectors from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) visited Keith Colthart’s former home at Tibbermore and found a “host” of animals, including dwarf crocodiles, a cayman and the lemurs.
Colthart did not have the requisite licence for the lemurs and Sheriff Robert McCreadie told the court he wanted more information.
“We have to evaluate how endangered the lemurs are,” he said. “They could be severely endangered but I feel I would need to know about this before I could reach a view on a sentence.”
Sheriff McCreadie asked the Crown if they could contact the SSPCA to produce the information.
Colthart (24), of Thrashbush Crescent, Wishaw, admitted that on December 30 last year at Gloagburn Farm, Tibbermore, he advertised two ring-tailed lemurs for sale on Ad Trader, contrary to endangered species regulations.
Depute fiscal Stuart Richardson told the court the SSPCA had been made aware Colthart had advertised two ring-tailed lemurs for sale on the internet.
Mr Richardson said, “To have lemurs you need a special type of licence, which is issued by a government department. The accused was not the holder of such a licence.
“The SSPCA contacted him and told him they would be visiting his caravan at Gloagburn Farm, Tibbermore, on December 30, last year. When the officers arrived they discovered a host of animals there, including dwarf crocodiles, a cayman and the lemur monkeys.
“All these other animals required a Dangerous Wild Animals Licence which he did, but he didn’t have the necessary licence for the lemurs.”
Mr Richardson told Sheriff McCreadie that lemurs are classified as “near threatened” and the species is thought to be at “serious long-term” risk.
“That’s why its name has been added to animals that require a special licence,” Mr Richardson said.
Sheriff McCreadie deferred sentence until June 21 for information to be provided by the SSPCA and for a personal appearance from Colthart.