Karlos Vemola faces a prison sentence.
Karel “Karlos” Vemola previously fought in the UFC. PDO
Freelancer Karel “Karlos” Vemolaa38, faces a prison sentence of up to three years in the Czech Republic.
Vemola previously acquired a white tiger as a pet. Czech media According to Blesk a former UFC fighter declawed a tiger, which is illegal in the country.
The police and experts are investigating whether Vemola is guilty of animal cruelty.
– This is a serious matter. We have decided to pass the matter on to the police. They will assess whether declawing meets the hallmarks of animal cruelty as defined in the Criminal Code, a spokesperson for the Regional Veterinary Association Petr Vorlicek comment.
According to the Czech Ministry of the Environment, Vemola’s activities hinder the tiger’s behavior as a species.
– The animal has been irreversibly mutilated. It loses its ability to climb trees, defend itself from an attack by another animal or mark its territory, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Environment Ondrej Charvat comment on cat declawing in general.
The authorities also arrive to check other felines owned by the volunteer. Vemola has published pictures on social media at least with a lion.
If Vemola and the veterinarian who removed the claws are found guilty, the sentence for the crime is between half a year and up to three years in prison.
Several animals
A freelancer would like to keep his white tiger. Illustration picture. EPA/AOP
Earlier in the winter, the authorities ordered Vemola to hand over the white tiger cub, as there were no official documents available about the animal ending up in the care of a volunteer. This activity is illegal in the Czech Republic.
Vemola reasoned that the tiger is a family member.
– I understand that I should have checked the matter. But I have tried to tell the authorities that the punishment must be directed at me, not the animal. I received fines and accepted them, but this is not a wild animal, he said.
Vemola has a farm near Prague where, in addition to felines, he keeps crocodiles, sharks and ostriches. According to the authorities, the white tiger will be moved to a German zoo.
Vemola has won 36 matches in his career and lost seven times. He has fought in the UFC six times between 2010 and 2013.