Hudson Valley Shop Owner Charged for Selling Severed Head

A Hudson Valley antique shop owner has been charged after environmental police say they discovered an illegal animal head for sale inside the store.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Environmental Conservation Police Officers received a tip about the unusual item being offered for sale at an antique store in the Town of Mamakating in Sullivan County.

On July 29, an undercover ECO entered the store and located a mounted mountain lion head in the back of the shop. The officer reportedly negotiated a deal to purchase the head and, just as the transaction was being made, a uniformed Environmental Conservation Police Officer swooped in to confront the employee.

NYS DEC

Selling Mountain Lion Parts is Illegal in New York

According to the DEC, both the store owner and an employee said they were unaware that selling the mountain lion head was against the law.

The store owner was charged with illegal commercialization of a prohibited species and the head was confiscated. New York law specifically prohibits the sale or offering for sale of mountain lions, also known as cougars, as well as their skin or body parts.

While coming across a mountain lion head at an antique store may be unusual, this isn't the first time DEC officers have found prohibited animal parts being sold in New York.

In 2024, officers confiscated a full-body leopard mount that was being advertised for $2,500. The seller eventually paid a $2,500 fine and forfeited the leopard. DEC officers have also busted antique dealers for offering items containing leopard and alligator parts.

NYS DEC

A "Heads Up" For Antique Shops and Collectors

Anyone looking to buy or sell an unusual piece of taxidermy may want to check exactly what animal it came from before making a deal.

New York Environmental Conservation Law prohibits the sale of body parts from a surprisingly long list of animals. Among them are tigers, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, Asiatic lions, wolves, polar bears, jaguars, ocelots, mountain lions and certain rhinoceroses. The law also covers some turtles and crocodilians, although New York allows certain crocodilian products under permits issued by the DEC.

There are also separate rules governing other wildlife. For example, deer and bear parts from animals legally taken and reported in New York can generally be sold if they are properly tagged, but selling deer or bear meat is illegal.

So, while that strange animal head collecting dust in the corner of an antique shop may look like a valuable conversation piece, it could also be highly illegal.