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Polk Wildlife Collector Arrested Again

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TBO Staff Report

Published: February 2, 2008

The founder and operator of the controversial Horseshoe Creek Wildlife Sanctuary is in trouble again.
Darryl Atkinson, 51, of Davenport, was arrested Friday on fraud charges.

An undercover state wildlife officer, posing as someone who needed to work off community service hours, went to the sanctuary and asked Atkinson for work, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Atkinson offered to sign off on the officer's community service hours in exchange for $400, without the undercover officer actually putting in the work hours, the commission reported.

The officer was investigating a complaint related to an earlier arrest, the commission reported.

Atkinson was arrested in September of 2006 on accusations of keeping a Bengal tiger in a cage that was too small and not strong enough to contain it. He pleaded no contest to 12 counts of maintaining wildlife in unsafe conditions and was fined $267.The commission said Atkinson has violated his plea agreement by taking in additional animals and could face additional legal action.

Atkinson has had more than 39 wildlife citations since July 1993.

"The sanctuary is open to the public, which makes the facility popular, but not necessarily safe," said Capt. Andy Krause of the commission's Investigations Section. "It is important that we make sure the animals are properly cared for, and they won't become a threat to anyone."

About 40 tigers are kept at the sanctuary, in addition to many other large and lesser cats and other wildlife species.

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