MUSEUM HEAD GETS PROBATION ON WILDLIFE COUNTS.

Byline: Jesse Hiestand Daily News Staff Writer

Wildlife educator Karl Anderson, director of the Fillmore Museum of Natural History, pleaded no contest Monday to five misdemeanor counts of keeping and transferring exotic animals without proper permits.

Anderson was sentenced to three years' probation and 30 days of community service.

Municipal Court Judge Edward F. Brodie also ordered Anderson to relinquish possession of the unpermitted animals and submit to surprise inspections of his ranch and museum by state wildlife agents.

Deputy District Attorney Laurel McLaughlin called the sentence acceptable even though the judge rejected her request for a 120-day jail term.

Anderson said he was pleased because now he could resume his museum and educational work without facing the prospect of a trial and lengthy jail sentence.

``For eight years, I've been reaching out to kids with education about the natural world. That's what I've devoted my life to and what I want to get back to,'' he said.

Anderson, who teaches wildlife appreciation through his organization, Wildlife Educators of America, could have received 30 months in jail and $5,000 in fines had he been sentenced to the maximum on all counts.

He does not believe the no contest plea, which is equivalent to a guilty plea in criminal courts, will adversely affect his most ambitious project, the Fillmore Museum of Natural History.

The museum, which opened in July with the help of a $98,000 loan by Fillmore city leaders, features almost 70 live animals, most of them reptiles, and an extensive collection of animal trophies.

Anderson uses his Bardsdale ranch to house many of the exotic animals used in educational shows for community groups and schools. The misdemeanor charges stem from citations issued by a state Fish and Game agent during an inspection of the ranch in March.

Anderson was cited for allowing someone to illegally possess a Siberian tiger cub, for possessing three other animals without proper permits, and for housing those animals in cages that did not meet minimum state standards.

One of those animals, a flying squirrel called a sugar glider, recently died at the ranch. California Fish and Game Lt. Chris Long said Monday that he will investigate the animal's death, although abuse or poor care are not suspected at this time.

Anderson said he will comply with a court order to transfer the other two animals, a Nile crocodile and a wallaby, to a state-approved facility within the next 30 days.

Defense attorney Mark Pollock said his client plans to seek the proper permits so he can get those animals back. But he first hopes to rebuild good relations with the Fish and Game Department by opening his ranch and museum to an extensive ``audit'' by wildlife authorities to ensure there are no other code violations.

Anderson received a similar misdemeanor conviction in Oregon three years ago for unlawful possession of protected species. That case sent Anderson to jail for a few days.

Brodie said jail time was not warranted in this case because there was no evidence any of the unpermitted animals had been treated poorly.

The judge said state Fish and Game agents gave the animals to Anderson because they did not have any other means to care for them.

But the judge faulted the defendant for seeking permits only after he had been cited for breaking the permitting laws, which are intended to protect the safety of both the animals and public.

``It's good that he was attempting to comply with the law, but it's bad because he knew he should not have possession of those animals until the permitting process was complete,'' Brodie said.