A 74-year-old Victorian antiques store owner has been fined $10,000 after pleading guilty to 13 charges related to the illegal possession and sale of more than 700 native animals, many found frozen or taxidermied at his property in Kyneton.
Glenn Richard Rollo appeared before Kyneton local court on Tuesday, where he was convicted and fined. The charges included selling and possessing protected and threatened wildlife and failing to provide treatment to a sick animal.
Discovery of Hundreds of Animals
The Conservation Regulator Victoria executed search warrants at Rollo's store and home in April last year as part of a broader crackdown on the illegal wildlife trade. During the search, officers found 14 freezers containing animals, along with hundreds of dead reptiles, native birds, and mammals across the property.
Among the species found were 78 emus, 42 brushtail possums, and 26 echidnas, as well as remains of threatened species including the barking owl, diamond python, and Murray River short-necked turtle. The regulator also found 15 live reptiles in enclosures, including North American red-eared slider turtles and corn snakes, six of which were not being kept under required animal welfare standards.
Licensing and Legal Requirements
The regulator said Rollo did not hold the necessary licence or authorisation under Victoria's wildlife laws to obtain or possess the animals. Under the Wildlife Act 1975, taking native animals without approval is illegal, and a commercial or private wildlife licence is required to trade dead animals. A separate licence is also required for taxidermy, which Rollo did not hold.
During the court appearance, magistrate Patrick Southey reportedly told Rollo: “It is bewildering that a man of your intelligence and knowledge and love of wildlife would arrogantly flout the law so comprehensively.”
Reactions and Calls for Reform
Cal Heppell, director of regulatory operations at the Conservation Regulator, said the case highlighted the importance of Victoria's wildlife protections. “The scale of offending in this case highlights why Victoria has strong protections in place for wildlife and animal welfare,” he said. “These requirements are not optional. Anyone who keeps, trades or possesses wildlife must comply with the law.”
Victoria Animal Justice party MP Georgie Purcell called for modernisation of the 50-year-old welfare act, describing the fine as “barely a deterrent”. She said the case should serve as a wake-up call about the state's wildlife protection laws, adding: “If hundreds of native animals can end up dead in someone’s collection, questions need to be asked why the government has continued to stall when it comes to ensuring these laws meet community expectations.”
