$10,000 fine after sprawling illegal collection uncovered in quiet Aussie town – Yahoo News Australia

An Australian man has been fined $10,000 after he was found to be in possession of more than 700 dead animals.
Seventy-eight emus, 42 brushtail possums and 26 echidnas were part of a wildlife collection seized from a home and antique business in a quiet Victorian town.
Over four days in April 2025, investigators from the state's Conservation Regulator uncovered what they described as an "extensive" taxidermy collection.
It included the remains of threatened species.
Fourteen freezers were also found with carcasses inside.
A picture shared with Yahoo News shows a room crowded with specimens, including a taxidermied wood duck and two kookaburras wearing pink fabric.
Another image features marsupials, cockatoos, and a hare with pins in their heads and bodies, indicating they were partially processed for display.
Taxidermy birds, mammals and reptiles were found at the premesis. Source: Conservation Regulator.
Several live reptiles were also found across 15 enclosures.
A 74-year-old Kyneton man was sentenced in the Kyneton Magistrates Court on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to wildlife, pest animal, and animal welfare charges.
Marsupials and cockatoos appeared to be undergoing preservation. Source: Conservation Regulator.
The court was told animals and their remains were illegally obtained and kept without the required permits.
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After the man was convicted and charged, the Conservation Regulator's director of regulatory operations, Cal Heppell, warned that anyone who trades in wildlife must comply with the law.
"The scale of offending in this case highlights why Victoria has strong protections in place for wildlife and animal welfare," he said. 
"Our laws and permit systems help protect wildlife from unlawful exploitation, ensure animals are appropriately cared for and safeguard Victoria's environment and biodiversity from potential threats.
"These requirements are not optional. Anyone who keeps, trades or possesses wildlife must comply with the law."
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