Museum Chief Enters Plea in Animal Case

The executive director of Fillmore’s natural history museum pleaded not guilty in Ventura Municipal Court on Monday to five misdemeanor charges of unlawfully possessing and failing to properly cage several exotic animals.

A jury trial for Karl Anderson, 43, was set for Nov. 3.

If found guilty, Anderson could receive up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Laurel McLaughlin.

The charges stemmed from a March 6 investigation conducted by the state Department of Fish and Game at the 120-acre Santa Clara Valley ranch operated by Anderson’s nonprofit group, the Wildlife Educators of America.

Anderson is charged with one count of possessing animals without a valid permit--namely a Nile crocodile, a wallaby and a sugar glider, a species of flying squirrel. He is also charged with unlawfully transferring a Siberian tiger to a person not authorized to possess it, as well as housing the tiger, sugar glider and crocodile in cages smaller than those required by law.

Anderson declined comment, but has previously acknowledged he made a mistake by not having permits for the animals, although he said he did not intentionally break the law. For instance, Anderson said the sugar glider was scheduled to be destroyed after being rescued by Long Beach animal control officers had he not agreed to house the animal on the ranch.

He said he has permits for the more than 130 other animals housed at the ranch and the Fillmore Museum of Natural History.

Anderson opened the museum in July with the aid of a $100,000 city loan as part of the community’s plan to develop its tourism industry.