11-0536 - Sale of certain wild animals or wild animal products prohibited.
§ 11-0536. Sale of certain wild animals or wild animal products prohibited. 1. Except as provided in subdivision three hereof, no part of the skin or body, whether raw or manufactured, of the following species of wild animals or the animal itself may be sold or offered for sale by any individual, firm, corporation, association or partnership within the state of New York:--Leopard (Panthera pardus), Snow Leopard (Uuncia), Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Tiger (Panthera tigres), Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica), Cheetah (Acinoyx jubatus), Alligators, Caiman or Crocodile of the Order Crocodylia (except as provided in subdivision two of this section), tortoises of the genus Gopherus, marine turtles of the family Cheloniidae and the family Dermochelidae, Vicuna (Vicugna vicugna), Wolf (Canis lupus), Red Wolf (Canis niger), or Tasmanian Forester Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus tasmaniensis) or Polar Bear (Thalarctos maritimus), Mountain Lion, sometimes called Cougar (Felis Concolar), Jaguar (Panthera onca), Ocelot (Felis pardalis), or Margay (Felis wiedii), Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), or Black Rhinoceros (Dicero bicornis). 2. The commissioner may permit, under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe, the importation and sale of the skin, body or parts therefrom of Alligators, Caiman or Crocodile of the Order Crocodylia. 3. Any officer or agent authorized by the commissioner, or any police officer of the state of New York, or any police officer of any municipality within the state of New York, shall have authority to execute any warrant to search for and seize any goods, merchandise or wildlife sold or offered for sale in violation of this section, or any property or item used in connection with a violation of this section; such goods, merchandise, wildlife or property shall be held pending proceedings in any court of proper jurisdiction. Upon conviction, or upon the entry of a judgment restraining the sale or offer for sale of such goods, merchandise or wildlife on the ground that such items were sold or offered for sale in violation of this section, such seized goods, merchandise or wildlife shall be forfeited and, upon forfeiture, either offered to a recognized institution for scientific or educational purposes, or destroyed. 4. The commissioner may permit, under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe, the importation, transportation, possession or sale of any species or subspecies of fish or wildlife listed in this section for zoological, educational, and scientific purposes, and for the propagation of such fish or wildlife in captivity for preservation purposes, unless such importation, transportation, possession or sale is prohibited by any federal law or regulation.