Peter Bailey and one of the monkey skulls in question (Credit: Metropolitan police)

A Lambeth man found illegally importing exotic skulls was sentenced on September 29th. Peter Bailey, 65 of Chale Road received a suspended 26 month sentence and a £4000 fine with 120 hours of unpaid work.

Bailey solicited the skulls online, two chimpanzee skulls were sold to UK buyers, advertised as ‘taxidermy monkey skull, baboon, curio, collectable skull, rare’, purchased for £140 and £170 respectively.

The imports included skulls of the critically endangered drill, a Nigerian baboon with an estimated population between 3 and 8 thousand. A government wildlife inspector raised concerns as they confirmed the imports to be recently taken from the wild.

Bailey pled not guilty in crown court on March 15, but was found guilty on September 1st for lacking the proper Article 10 trade certificate issued by the Animal and Plant Health Agency, or proper import permits.