Woman Busted For Trying To Sell Flying Possums On Facebook
A Hollywood woman, using Facebook in a unique way, was charged Tuesday with breeding sugar gliders - small possums native to Australia - and attempting to sell the exotic animals on Facebook.
Amy Young Lynn, 39, was busted with eight sugar gliders by undercover state Fish and Game officials. Authorities say undercover officials responded to Lynn's Facebook ad offering the animals for $400 a pair. The animals were seized and transported to a wildlife preserve.
L.A. Now describes the Australian possums.
Sugar gliders are small possums native to Australia that have the ability to soar more than 400 feet through the air on wing-like membranes that stretch between their front and hind legs.They are bred and allowed as pets in many places in the United States, but they are banned as pets in California, as well as in Australia, as a deterrent to the common practice of taking them from the wild.
How did Lynn obtain the animals? Prosecutors say two sugar gliders were gifted to her at a party; the animals later reproduced.
Lynn had been charged with eight counts of unlawful possession and attempted sale of a restricted species. If convicted, she could serve up to four years in jail and a $8,000 fine.
