Nature wardens fine farmer Petras Šiaučiūnas €500 for illegal possession of ostrich

An ostrich Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), given to farmer Petras Šiaučiūnas by radio station Zip FM four years ago, was returned with a fine of 500 euros. This is the conclusion that can be drawn from the extract of the Environmental Protection Department's (EPD) report published on Šiaučiūnas' social networking site "Facebook".

"Illegal confiscated, keeper punished. I love the system", – the farmer himself commented on the post.

The rabbit was confiscated from Mr Šiaučiūnas on 16 March. The farmer lives in the village of Audroniai (Rokiskis district) on 16 October 1616.

After the inspectors visited, Mr Šiaučiūnas did not have the documents confirming the legal acquisition of the wild animals, so the bird was confiscated and fined between €500 and €2,050.

The protocol lists a number of articles that Mr Šiaučiūnas allegedly violated.

The farmer was fined the minimum amount and the confiscated ostrich was handed over to the Wildlife Care Centre.

Although it has been known for 4 years that Šiaučiūnas kept an ostrich, the farmer was probably only recently sued for illegal ostrich keeping. The ostriches were hatched right in the Zip FM studio.