Two South Dakota men, who allegedly poached leopards in South Africa with the help of a South African big-game outfitter, have been indicted for smuggling the hides and a skull of two poached leopards into the United States through Denver.
The federal grand jury in Denver identified the two men as Wayne D. Breitag of Abderdeen, S.D., and Jerry L. Mason of Frankfort, S.D.
According to the indictment, Breitag and Mason both joined Jan Greonewald Swart, one of the most prominent outfitters in South Africa, and shot and killed leopards on private land in Limpopo province South Africa in 2002.
Mason killed his leopard on Aug. 23, 2002, and Breitag killed his on Sept. 7, 2002, investigators alleged.
Neither of the Americans had a valid permit to hunt the leopards at the time, something both they and Swart knew at the time, said investigators.
Mason is charged with smuggling a hide and a skull of a leopard, and Breitag is charged with smuggling a hide.
The grand jury noted that commercial big-game hunting in South Africa by foreign clients, many of whom are Americans, is highly profitable and heavily regulated.
U.S. hunters often are recruited in the United States by professional South African outfitters who advertise their services at large regional sportsmen’s shows, according to agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Clients normally book a multiweek hunting trip, costing tens of thousands of dollars, during which they are guided by licensed professional hunters. Normally they are attempting to take several species of plains game, including duiker, kudu and bushbuck, as well as one or more of the “big five” — lion, elephant, rhinoceros, cape buffalo and leopard, said the grand jury.
The grand jury said leopards are especially prized by trophy hunters and that it is not unusual for the leopard portion of the hunt alone to cost more than $10,000.
To circumvent South African authorities and international regulations on the import of leopard hides and skulls, Swart told the South Dakota residents to say the animals were killed in Zimbabwe, authorities said.
According to the indictment, Breitag and Mason agreed to the charade.
As a result, Breitag submitted an import permit application to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service falsely claiming that he killed a leopard in Manyame Concession in the southeast region of Zimbabwe on Sept. 7, 2002.
The grand jury alleged that Mason submitted an import permit application to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service falsely claiming that he killed a leopard on the Nyamashasa Ranch in the Chegutu District of Zimbabwe on Aug. 23, 2002.
Swart arranged to have the hides smuggled from South Africa into Zimbabwe, where he purchased fraudulent export permits for the leopard hides and skulls.
On Nov. 5, 2004, federal agents seized a shipment of five leopard hides and three leopard skulls at Denver International Airport, which included the hides and skulls of the leopards that Breitag and Mason killed illegally in South Africa in 2002, the grand jury said.
Swart pleaded guilty to smuggling charges in U.S. District Court in Denver on May 21, 2007, and is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence.
In addition to the smuggling charges, the two South Dakota residents are charged with violations of the Lacey Act, a federal wildlife statute.
Smuggling is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Lacey Act violations are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
