THE TRIBUNE
Friday, November 8, 2019, PAGE 7
ARDASTRA GIVES ENDANGERED SPECIES HELPING HAND AN endangered species is getting a new chance at survival thanks to the birth of two new baby hutias at Ardastra Gardens zoo. The rabbit-sized rodents are the only land mammal native to The Bahamas – and come originally from Warderick Wells Cay in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. The mothers of the two new babies, Coral and Sunny, were brought
to New Providence last November, along with three males, Junkanoo, Warderick “Ricky” and Raphael. Animal curator Bonnie Young said: “We haven’t been hands on with the babies yet so we’re not sure of their sex.” “Most animals, when they make a move to a new area or are adjusting to a new habitat, it places stress on them. We really didn’t expect to start our breeding
IT MAY have been delayed because of Hurricane Dorian – but this year the Walk For The Cure returns for its eighth year. At 6.30am tomorrow, walkers will set from Goodman’s Bay to raise funds and awareness of the ongoing battle to defeat cancer. Walk For The Cure is CIBC First Caribbean’s largest cancer fundraising initiative, with funds going towards care and counselling for patients and their families, and to raise the importance of early detection. The event will be hosted by singer Bodine Johnson, with live music by Furze Entertainment, warm up and cool down sessions, a heath fair, and food and drinks. There are two routes – both setting off from Goodman’s Bay Corporate Centre. The long route goes to Sandals and back, while the short route goes to Melia and back. There will also be a brief ceremony in honour of cancer survivors. Vice president of the Cancer Society of The Bahamas Rochelle Wilkinson said: “Cancer spares nobody, and we never know who’s going to be next. Therefore, we’re happy for initiatives like the walk that enable us to provide our services to people to alleviate some of the stress that would be associated with taking treatment.” Helen Rolle, secretary of the Sister Sister breast cancer support group said: “In our organisations, you always wonder where the next dollar will come from, but we thank God for people who support causes like the Walk for the Cure - because of them we’re able to extend a ray of hope to the wider community.” CIBC walk manager Kizzanae Arthur said: “Despite some challenges, our loyal Walk for the Cure supporters have not been deterred and we couldn’t be more excited for the event that’s taking place this Saturday. We want the public to join us for this family affair, with activities, music, prizes, and various health and food vendors on site. You can visit any CIBC FirstCaribbean branch to sign up; or contact 302-6036 or 302-6085 for more information.” Last year, the walk raised $90,000 for eight cancer care organisations in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera. This year, the walk will take place only on New Providence and Eleuthera due to the effects of Hurricane Dorian.
program until next year. We thought it was going to take them about a year to settle in and get used to life in the zoo, but they had other plans,” said Ms Young. “They apparently like the zoo, the cleaning service and the company that they are keeping.” The first baby was born in July and the second in late August. Unlike other rodents who have multiple births, the hutia bears one
live young at a time after a pregnancy lasting between 85 and 120 days. The hutia is considered an endangered species and is protected by law. After being a food source for the Lucayans in years gone by, they were thought to be extinct until being rediscovered in 1966 on East Plana Cay, an uninhabited island east of Acklins. “The Bahama hutias are now only found in the wild
on two islands,” said Ms Young. “If one of those islands had been hit by Hurricane Dorian, they might have been wiped out completely.” The hutia babies are scheduled to have their first real human interaction, a doctor’s appointment, sometime this month. The vet check will reveal their sex. “Whenever we have animals born in the zoo, we try to intervene as little as
possible. Their best chance at survival is always going to be with their parents. As a prey animal, any type of handling could be very stressful for the animals and very risky for them, particularly with young babies,” explained Ms Young. “We want to make sure they have a very good start to their life and intervene as little as possible until later in their development when they are sturdier.”
Walk For The Cure is ready for the off
CIBC FirstCaribbean (Bahamas) raised over $100,000 to support cancer treatment and awareness with their 2018 Walk for the Cure campaign. More than 1,000 participants turned out to support the annual event.
NINE FINED FOR ENTERING ILLEGALLY OR OVERSTAYING
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
NINE Haitians were collectively fined more than $4,000 by a senior magistrate yesterday for either illegally entering or overstaying their time in The Bahamas. Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes fined Sonson Pierre, Wilmonde Fils-Aime, Altema Dorsainvil, Dodo Pierre, Jacquelin Pierre, Jean Mack, and Maria Corgelas $300 each for sneaking into the country. Their fellow compatriots, Milou Valcourt, Ulner Meance, meanwhile, were fined $1,000 apiece for overstaying in the country. The total sum of the fines is $4,100. Magistrate Forbes ordered that all nine Haitian nationals serve one year in prison if they default
on paying their respective fines. He also ordered the group to be turned over to the Department of Immigration to be deported upon payment of the fines and/or completion of the sentences. According to immigration prosecutor Avia Beckford, Sonson Pierre and Fils-Aime were initially arrested by members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) for immigration purposes. Pierre was being held at the Elizabeth Estates Police Station, while Fils-Aime was being held at the Quakoo Street Police Station. When questioned by immigration officers, Pierre admitted to entering the country illegally on December 4 of last year, while Fils-Aime snuck into the country in May of 2017. Ms Beckford said Fils-Aime did apply for a work permit,
which was submitted but refused by the Department of Immigration on October 9 of this year. Dorsainvil, Dodo Pierre and Jacquelin Pierre were similarly arrested by police for immigration purposes, and when questioned about the respective statuses by immigration officials, Dorsainvil admitted to entering the country by boat in 2013; Dodo Pierre admitted to illegally entering in February 2017; while Jacquelin Pierre admitted to illegally entering in October 2018. Mack was also arrested by police for immigration purposes, having been detained at the Carmichael Road Police Station. When questioned by immigration officers, he admitted to entering The Bahamas illegally on a Haitian sloop in May of this year. Corgelas, meanwhile, was captured by immigration
officers in the Royal Palm Street area on November 5. According to Ms Beckford, while the team of officers was in the area, Corgelas, who was holding her fivemonth-old infant at the time, noticed them and fled. She was captured following a brief chase, and when questioned about her status, said she snuck into the Bahamas in May 2018 on an unregistered Haitian vessel. Concerning Valcourt and Meance, Ms Beckford said that at around 9:22am on Monday, a team of immigration officers went to the Wulff Road Police Station, where they met the two men who had since been detained for immigration purposes. After the men said they had no forms of identification on them, they were subsequently taken to the Carmichael Road Detention Centre (CRDC).
HAITIAN PAIR DENY PASSPORT FRAUD
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
TWO Haitian men yesterday denied allegations that they hoodwinked their government into giving them Haitian passports, which police claim they both used in a bid to gain legal status in The Bahamas. John Doe aka “Ricardo Phillips”, and Joel Ceus aka “Ceus Joel”, pleaded not guilty to claims they fraudulently obtained Haitian passports bearing the names of their aliases earlier this year.
Concerning Doe, of Golden Isles Road, it is alleged he defrauded the Haitian consulate of a Haitian passport sometime between January 25, 2015, and October of this year. Ceus, of Prince Charles Drive, is claimed to have defrauded the Haitian embassy of a passport on July 17. Doe, 36, was further charged with being caught in possession of both a forged Bahamian birth certificate and a fake Uriah McPhee Primary School letter of attendance that bore his alias on January 25, 2015.
He was further charged with uttering those false documents to officers at the Department of Immigration on Hawkins Hill on the same dates. Then, sometime between January 25, 2015, and October of this year, Doe allegedly tried to obtain naturalisation from the government by fraudulent means. Given their not guilty pleas, Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans adjourned their matters to February 2020 for trial. Bail was denied and they were remanded to the Bahamas
Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) in the interim. However, given her uncertainty about their legal status, Magistrate Vogt-Evans said a status check needed to be made on both men, which would take place in the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Ceus’ attorney, Crispin Hall, indicated that his client was detained in the state’s custody from October 24, and as such a writ of habeus corpus had been filed in the Supreme Court against the government.
Checks of the DOI’s various systems revealed that Valcourt legally entered the country on June 15 of this year on an InterCaribbean Airways flight from Haiti. He was given a seven-day visit by immigration officers, but was granted no further extensions. He ultimately overstayed by four months and 12 days,
according to Ms Beckford. Meance, meanwhile, entered the country on a Pineapple Air flight from Haiti on June 29 of this year. He was granted a one month visit, which ultimately turned into an illegal three month and five day stay. Shandeshia Marshall assisted Ms Beckford.
Moniqua Latiska Adderley, 15 Jasmine Gardens died on Tuesday, October 29th, 2019 at the Princess Margaret Hospital. She is survived by her Mother: Monique Adderley; Grandmother: Erma Stevens; Aunts: Sheryl Johnson, Wendy Addderley and Phalisha Stevens; Uncles: Tyrone Adderley, Paul Adderley and Andrew Adderley I; Siblings and first Cousins including: Dwanye Adderley, Dwight Adderley, Andrew Adderley II, Dwonn Adderley, Noresha Adderley and Ebony Jules and a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.