Taxidermist jailed for second time for illegally trading endangered species

A self-proclaimed taxidermist who was put behind bars after pictures of him posing next to his wild animal collection sparked a police investigation has been jailed for a second time.

Aaron Halstead, from Burnley, Lancashire was jailed for 24 weeks in 2015 after a probe discovered he had illegally bought three sperm whale teeth, a cheetah’s skull and a dolphin.

Police in Holland had become suspicious of then 24-year-old after he pictured himself roaring like a lion alongside stuffed wild animals including tigers and giraffes on his website.

They informed the force in Lancashire which began investigating Halstead’s activities and raided the home he shared with his family in Burnley. 

Now he will spend 56 more weeks in prison after a further investigation found he illegally traded in tiger skulls, tiger teeth and black rhino horns between September 2014 and January 2018. 

Halstead’s new charges came after his home was raided early last year. 

He pleaded guilty earlier this year to nine offences against the Control of Trade in Endangered Species.  

This legislation makes it illegal to be involved in any way in the selling and trade of anything that claims to be made from a species listed as endangered by the European Commission. 

The maximum sentence for breaking these laws is five years in jail. 

Sietse, who did business with Halstead, supplied the police with a Whatsapp conversation the two had about tiger skulls in September 2017. 

Halstead told Sietse: ‘My guy will only buy them if they have all original teeth’ during a deal where he was paying €9,000 for 16 tiger skulls.’ 

Sietse offered to supply 16 tiger skulls for €16,000 but Halstead the price was too high for reasons including the fact that he cannot sell tigers legally in the UK. 

Eventually they agreed on nine tiger skulls for €9,000. 

It was during this conversation that Halstead revealed to Sietse that he had two rhino heads and he planned to remove the horns and attach replica horns to the heads so he could sell them separately. 

In a transaction where he was taking the rhino horns to France to be verified he told his buyer he would put other taxidermy in the car so it looked as if they were all being delivered.  

In mitigation defence lawyer Mark Stuart said: ‘He had a long-standing interest in taxidermy which he got from his grandfather buthHe became greedy and disconnected from what he was doing. 

‘If he had bought the rhinoceros and then sold them as he had bought them it would not have been illegal. 

‘However he removed the horns, weighed them and sold them at home and abroad.

”This was a ridiculously stupid and greedy decision. He finds it difficult to explain why he did this but he did do it. 

‘He dissolved the company in January 2019 and has not traded since October 2018.”

Sentencing Judge Robert Altham told Halstead: ‘You decided to flout the law deliberately and cynically so you could make money. 

‘You were a well organised professional and used your legitimate business as a cover.

‘You knew the risks you were taking and the harm caused but you were prepared to take those risks for financial gain. 

‘This was an organised and international trade in times committed at high prices. It was brazen, persistent and well organised criminality.’ 

The swimming instructor was also accused of offences relating to tusks and ivory from an African bush elephant, keeping two tiger cubs and selling African tree pangolin. 

Halstead’s 2015 charges came after Lancashire Police and the National Wildlife Crime Unit worked together on a big investigation into the illegal trade of critically endangered species. 

They claimed Halstead was involved in the sale of sperm whale’s teeth and sawfish rostrums.  

Police found that that he sold these animals from a website that he ran from a room in his parents’ house in New Copy Barn, Glen View Road, Burnley where houses sell for around £170,00 according to home evaluation on Zoopla. 

On social media he called himself ‘Halstead Taxidermy’ where he posted scores of images showing of stuffed tigers, bears, an orangutan and elephants feet. 

He has posted pictures of himself roaring alongside the head of a tiger, riding a giraffe, wearing a leopard skin coat with beaver skin trim – and even driving a car with a stuffed zebra in the back. 

During a 2013 raid on his home officers found three sperm whale teeth, a cheetah’s skull and a dolphin skull plus a stuffed snowy owl.          

Police described Halstead, who claims he is an animal lover and supporter of the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), as a one-man band trader in endangered and antique stuffed and preserved animals and skins. 

However, despite the fact he calls his business – run from the ground floor of his parents’ home – Halstead Taxidermy, he is not a taxidermist.  

Andy McWilliam from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, previously said: ‘Aaron Halstead is not a taxidermist, he is a trader.’

McWilliam described the room as ‘stacked high’ with items which he was intending to sell through his website. 

Lancashire police wildlife officer PC Nigel Keates said it was a ‘rare’ case, but the interest in taxidermy had increased with the popularity of programmes like Game of Thrones, films like Harry Potter and even the Compare the Meerkat adverts. 

‘Even high end fashion couture continues to use animal skins for things like handbags and purses,’ he said.

‘There is quite rightly a strong public revulsion in the trade of some of these items and it is important that those who flout the legislation are brought to justice.’

His charges in 2015 were not the first time he has been in trouble: he also has a police caution from 2011 for selling stuffed birds from endangered species.