DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A northern Iowa taxidermist has been charged with trafficking horns from a black rhinoceros, a critically endangered African species.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Monday filed a felony criminal complaint against James Hess, who owns Wildlife Pride Taxidermy and Decor in Maquoketa. Hess is accused of violating the Lacey Act, a 1990 federal law criminalizing sales of animals protected under the Endangered Species Act.
The complaint alleges Hess participated in the transport and sale of black rhinoceros horns surpassing a $350 market value.
Hess tells the Des Moines Register (https://dmreg.co/1zxv6Ea ) the horns in question were legally harvested in 1958 and have been mounted on a wall for decades as part of a taxidermied black rhinoceros head.
A plea hearing is scheduled for May 13.
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Information from: The Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com
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