4 days ago
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New bundle helps track, support large cats
Spanish constabulary said Monday that they had arrested 2 radical suspected of selling online exotic cats including protected taxon specified arsenic achromatic tigers and pumas, and had confiscated 19 felines successful the operation.
Officers arrested the mates connected the land of Majorca, wherever they are suspected of raising godforsaken lynxes and servals, a chaotic feline autochthonal to Africa, arsenic good arsenic hybrid taxon created by crossing these breeds with home cats, constabulary said successful a statement. According to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the 2 suspects arrested are Russian.
Further investigations recovered that their activities were conscionable "the extremity of the iceberg" of an planetary trafficking cognition of protected taxon specified arsenic achromatic tigers and achromatic panthers "involving breeders, transporters and veterinarians," the Spanish Civil Guard and Interior Ministry said successful a news release.
"Most of the animals offered for merchantability came from countries specified arsenic Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to beryllium smuggled into the European Union," they added.
Police fishy the animals were brought into the European Union via Poland from Belarus, and were past offered crossed the bloc with mendacious documentation.
Among the different taxon the mates offered for merchantability connected its societal media accounts were European lynxes, hyenas and pumas. Officials released respective images showing the cats successful enclosures and officers collecting evidence.
Police said the suspects had offered a clouded leopard, 1 of the world's astir uncommon and elusive cats, astatine a terms of 60,000 euros ($68,000).
Officers besides seized a caracal, a godforsaken lynx known for its distinctive agelong receptor tufts, arsenic good arsenic 2 servals and 16 hybrid felines.
They besides seized much than 40 carnal passports from Russia, Belarus and China arsenic portion of the operation.
Police said that attempts to breed and support exotic cats arsenic pets are wide successful Russia and Ukraine, and the inclination has expanded to different countries.
"These taxon necessitate a batch of space," constabulary said. "Furthermore, they are precise assertive and tin airs a information to radical oregon different animals, truthful galore radical extremity up getting escaped of these specimens."
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