Men sent live terrapins and axolotls through the post

Live terrapins were bundled into plastic bags marked 'fragile' and dispatched with couriers across the UK, a court heard. The terrapins and axolotls - a type of salamander - were put into bags containing water and then placed inside boxes, Dartford magistrates' court heard. Now two men have admitted animal cruelty after posting the creatures across the country.


Photo from SWNS.

Mark Freed, 28, of Salem Place, Northfleet, and Mustafas Bodour, 24, formerly of Bean Road, Greenhithe pleaded guilty to a total five counts of cruelty. The pair were charged with causing unnecessary suffering to terrapins and axolotls. Couriers contacted the RSPCA after discovering the animals and were unaware of what they were delivering because of poor labelling. They were arrested in March 2011 after an investigation from RSPCA and Dartford council.



The court heard the animals were placed in packages with water with labels stating 'fragile’ on the boxes. One courier discovered a bag of water containing axolotls had burst. Andrew Wiles, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said none of the animals had died as a result of being in packages - but they would have suffered. He said depots in Aylesford and Licolnshire discovered terrapins and axolotls in packages and said they were unauthorised to make the deliveries.



He asked the court for the defendants to cover the veterinary fees and investigation costs which amounted to more than £8,000. Chairman of the bench Michael O’Brien sentenced Bodour to a three-year conditional discharge and banned him from owning an aquatic animals for 10 years. He also ordered him to pay £3,130 in costs. Mr O’Brien said Freed would be sentenced on April 24, and would not rule out a custodial sentence.