They were fined 60 million Sri Lankan rupees or $200,000 US dollars for the theft. This is said to be the highest-ever fine for wildlife crime in the country. The men could face two years in jail if they fail to pay the fine by 24 September.
Dr. Jagath Gunawardena, an expert on environmental law, told the BBC Sinhala that the record fines were a warning to people that prey on endangered species.
The Crime
Rangers made the arrest after the men were found with hundreds of jars containing the rare native insects, including 92 types of butterflies, in the trunk of their car.
Park Ranger K Sujeewa Nishantha, told BBC Sinhala that a safari jeep driver had informed his team of rangers that a “suspicious car” was parked along the road. The two suspects were found in the nearby forest with insect nets.
“All the insects were dead when we found them. They put a chemical in the bottles,” Mr. Nishantha said. “There were more than three hundred animals.”
According to investigators the father and son had lured and killed the insects with animal attractants. They planned on using wax sachets to chemically preserve the butterflies.
