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Tuesday, August 6, 2002
Blowgun charge baffles officials
The weapons are prohibited under the Criminal Code but widely used in zoos.
By JONATHAN SHER, London (Ont.) Free Press Reporter
A London man who rescued orphaned raccoons has been charged with using a "weapon" that's a mainstay in zoos and veterinary clinics.
Barry Callow, who cared for the animals after a roofer bludgeoned their mother, has been charged by OPP for possessing a blowgun he's used to anesthetize wild animals.
"(Police) are watching too many movies of guys running around in the Amazon," said Toby Styles, the former head of the Metro Toronto Zoo.
Using a blowgun, a person uses a breath to propel a syringe-sized dart. They are widely used by zoos, clinics and wildlife researchers across Canada.
The Criminal Code prohibits blowguns but most police don't enforce it, said Dr. Helen Schwantje of the Canadian Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians.
"Most (police) are not concerned," said Schwantje, who taught a course on blowguns attended by the RCMP.
Police have also taken courses from Dr. Graham Crawshaw, a vet at the Metro Toronto Zoo. "The police (in this case) are being heavy-handed . . . blowguns are an indispensable tool," he said.
Styles agreed, saying, "the first rule of (blowgun) safety is 'Don't breathe in.' "
The criminal charge has also upset the National Firearms Association, which is paying for Callow's legal defence, said association president Jim Hinter.
Asked about the charge and whether anyone has ever used a blowgun to commit a crime, Bob Deasy of the OPP's weapons enforcement unit, said July 29 he'd check the file before commenting but had not responded as of yesterday.
The code prohibited blowguns in 1978, citing a model marketed as a weapon whose telescopic pipe made them easy to conceal.
Canadian Customs has prohibited their import, confiscating wooden blowguns sold as souvenirs even though zoos typically make their own using plastic or copper pipes.
Callow's blowgun, bought from a veterinarian supply outfit in Missouri, fits in a pouch the size of a violin case.
Blowguns are less traumatic to animals than legally available dart-pistols and rifles, said Dr. Gordon Glover, former president of the vet association.
A rifle, powered by a 22-calibre charge, can fire a dart the size of a shotgun shell through a dog, said Dr. Tyrrel de Langley, assistant director of veterinary services at the University of Western Ontario, which has a blowgun.
"I was quite astounded (by the charge) . . . I don't think the public interest is being well-served," said de Langley, who runs the Oakridge Animal Clinic.
The London vet believes Callow's lack of resources makes him an easy target -- his shoe-string operation, Forest City Wildlife Rehabilitation, uses older, donated equipment.
Callow's charge in May came after his blowgun and equipment were taken last October by Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources.
"They even took my flea powder," said Callow, who says the ministry targeted him because he publicly challenged them on what to do with deer in the Sifton Bog.
But the regional enforcement officer, Gary Zacher, said Callow's business was searched because he didn't renew his licence and he cared for raccoons when his expired licence limited him to birds.
Zacher said Callow's work with raccoons was discovered after the roofer incident in June 2001 garnered media coverage.
Unable to reach Callow by phone, the ministry got a search warrant, he said.
But de Langley say the ministry knew Callow cared for raccoons as far back as 1999, when a ministry official watched him capture a dozen which had taken refuge outside Riverview Restaurant.
That official didn't take action, Zacher said, because Callow claimed his actions were sanctioned by the ministry, a claim Zacher now disputes.
Blowgun charge baffles officials
The weapons are prohibited under the Criminal Code but widely used in zoos.
By JONATHAN SHER, London (Ont.) Free Press Reporter
A London man who rescued orphaned raccoons has been charged with using a "weapon" that's a mainstay in zoos and veterinary clinics.
Barry Callow, who cared for the animals after a roofer bludgeoned their mother, has been charged by OPP for possessing a blowgun he's used to anesthetize wild animals.
"(Police) are watching too many movies of guys running around in the Amazon," said Toby Styles, the former head of the Metro Toronto Zoo.
Using a blowgun, a person uses a breath to propel a syringe-sized dart. They are widely used by zoos, clinics and wildlife researchers across Canada.
The Criminal Code prohibits blowguns but most police don't enforce it, said Dr. Helen Schwantje of the Canadian Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians.
"Most (police) are not concerned," said Schwantje, who taught a course on blowguns attended by the RCMP.
Police have also taken courses from Dr. Graham Crawshaw, a vet at the Metro Toronto Zoo. "The police (in this case) are being heavy-handed . . . blowguns are an indispensable tool," he said.
Styles agreed, saying, "the first rule of (blowgun) safety is 'Don't breathe in.' "
The criminal charge has also upset the National Firearms Association, which is paying for Callow's legal defence, said association president Jim Hinter.
Asked about the charge and whether anyone has ever used a blowgun to commit a crime, Bob Deasy of the OPP's weapons enforcement unit, said July 29 he'd check the file before commenting but had not responded as of yesterday.
The code prohibited blowguns in 1978, citing a model marketed as a weapon whose telescopic pipe made them easy to conceal.
Canadian Customs has prohibited their import, confiscating wooden blowguns sold as souvenirs even though zoos typically make their own using plastic or copper pipes.
Callow's blowgun, bought from a veterinarian supply outfit in Missouri, fits in a pouch the size of a violin case.
Blowguns are less traumatic to animals than legally available dart-pistols and rifles, said Dr. Gordon Glover, former president of the vet association.
A rifle, powered by a 22-calibre charge, can fire a dart the size of a shotgun shell through a dog, said Dr. Tyrrel de Langley, assistant director of veterinary services at the University of Western Ontario, which has a blowgun.
"I was quite astounded (by the charge) . . . I don't think the public interest is being well-served," said de Langley, who runs the Oakridge Animal Clinic.
The London vet believes Callow's lack of resources makes him an easy target -- his shoe-string operation, Forest City Wildlife Rehabilitation, uses older, donated equipment.
Callow's charge in May came after his blowgun and equipment were taken last October by Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources.
"They even took my flea powder," said Callow, who says the ministry targeted him because he publicly challenged them on what to do with deer in the Sifton Bog.
But the regional enforcement officer, Gary Zacher, said Callow's business was searched because he didn't renew his licence and he cared for raccoons when his expired licence limited him to birds.
Zacher said Callow's work with raccoons was discovered after the roofer incident in June 2001 garnered media coverage.
Unable to reach Callow by phone, the ministry got a search warrant, he said.
But de Langley say the ministry knew Callow cared for raccoons as far back as 1999, when a ministry official watched him capture a dozen which had taken refuge outside Riverview Restaurant.
That official didn't take action, Zacher said, because Callow claimed his actions were sanctioned by the ministry, a claim Zacher now disputes.
