Last Wednesday, the Spanish police Guardia Civil did what they describe as the largest seizure of illegal stuffed animals in Europe ever.
More than 1,000 animals, some of them extinct or endangered, were found in a warehouse building in the port city of Valencia, along Spain’s east coast.
The animals have an estimated value of 275 million Norwegian kroner, the police write in one press release.
Police have now launched an investigation to find out how the animals ended up in Valencia.
– The animals have been transported here from countries such as Canada, Afghanistan, India and Siberia. Now we will try to uncover how the smugglers have operated, and how they have managed to avoid the customs, the Spanish police tell the newspaper Levante.
Seized over 1000 stuffed animals
Risks imprisonment
Among the animals found were lions, elephants, snow leopards, Bengal tigers and the extinct sable antelope.
198 elephant tusks were also found in the private collection. The sale of ivory has been banned since 1998, in an attempt to spare endangered elephants from poachers.
– Ivory: Large amounts of ivory from elephants were found in the private collection. Photo: HANDOUT
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The owner, who is said to be a businessman, is now being investigated for smuggling and natural crime. He claims that he inherited most of the animals from his father, writes the Spanish newspaper ABC.
They also write that the man, who first denied the police access to the warehouse, risks up to two years in prison.
The owner has not yet been arrested.
The investigation began in November 2021, when the police received tips that there should be a private collection of illegal, stuffed animals in the city.
Since then, the police have spent considerable resources on finding the animals.
To the Natural History Museum
A total of 1,090 animals were found in the private collection, which was located in the Bétera district, north of central Valencia.
405 of these are either extinct or endangered.
The lieutenant in the Spanish police, Carlos Domínguez, tells ABC that the animals will probably be sent to natural history museums.
“We will now establish contact with various museums and ensure that the animals are transported there,” Domínguez told the newspaper.
