tagged w/ Tarantula
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Suspected Tarantula Smuggler Arrested in Los Angeles
Sven Koppler was arrested Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Updated 2:00 PM PST, Fri, Dec 3, 2010
A man accused of smuggling hundreds of tarantulas into the United States by mail was under arrest Friday in Los Angeles.
Sven Koppler, 37, of Wachtberg, Germany, was arrested Thursday after arriving in Los Angeles to meet with an associate, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
What federal authorities dubbed Operation Spiderman began in March when a routine search of an international package revealed about 300 live tarantulas being shipped to Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents intercepted a second package that contained 22 Mexican red-kneed tarantulas, a species that is protected under an international treaty.
Agents ordered more tarantulas from Koppler, who allegedly sent a package that included about 70 live tarantulas and one dead spider.
Koppler allegedly received about $300,000 as a result of tarantula sales to spider fanciers in dozens of countries, including nine people in the United States, according to the criminal complaint.
If found guilty of illegally importing wildlife into the United States, he could be sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and fined $250,000, prosecutors said.
Koppler was expected to make his initial Los Angeles federal court appearance Friday.Suspected Tarantula Smuggler Arrested in Los Angeles
Sven Koppler was arrested... more
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More than 1,200 new species of plants and vertebrates have been discovered in the Amazon biome over the past decade - a new species every three days - according to a new WWF report,
link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/8086252/New-species-discovered-in-the-Amazon-include-a-bald-parrot-and-a-tiger-striped-tarantula.htmlMore than 1,200 new species of plants and vertebrates have been discovered in the... more
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According to the Metro, the drink is made up of rice wine, jack fruit and a tarantula, which is sometimes added live to the mix. The photographer from the story interviewed a Cambodian tuk tuk driver enjoying the drink, who said he carries out spider hunting tours of the areas where the ingredients are found.
"Mr Whitby said: ‘I bought a spider from a particularly greasy looking tray and pulled off a couple of legs. They tasted sweet and a little crunchy.’"-MetroAccording to the Metro, the drink is made up of rice wine, jack fruit and a tarantula,... more
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A man was caught by Norwegian customs carrying a tarantula in his bag, and a further 14 royal pythons and 10 albino leopard geckos taped to his body.A man was caught by Norwegian customs carrying a tarantula in his bag, and a further... more
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British Airways was forced to cancel a domestic flight between Edinburgh and Heathrow after a passenger told cabin crew he had seen a tarantula spider crawling between his legs.
The alert led to the plane being fumigated by an expert.
None of the 82 other passengers on board report seeing any spiders.British Airways was forced to cancel a domestic flight between Edinburgh and Heathrow... more
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The Internet is full of people having sex with other people. It is also full of animals having sex with other animals. In this Valentine's Day edition of Viral Video Film School, Brett Erlich explains the art of the well-made wildlife porn.
Viral Video Film School is a recurring segment on the weekly television show infoMania. In each episode of VVFS, Professor Brett Erlich teaches you valuable skills in the discipline of Viral Video making. So sit down, take notes, and try not to piss him off.
infoMania is a half-hour satirical news show that airs on Current TV. The show puts a comedic spin on the 24-hour chaos and information overload brought about by the constant bombardment of the media. Hosted by Conor Knighton and co-starring Brett Erlich, Sarah Haskins, Ben Hoffman, and Sergio Cilli, the show airs on Thursdays at 10 pm Eastern and Pacific Times and can be found online at current.com/infomania. And make sure to check out our facebook profile for special features at http://infomaniafacebook.com.The Internet is full of people having sex with other people. It is also full of... more
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