Lions, tigers and bears... Seizure of a major taxidermy operation in Europe

Lions, tigers and bears... Seizure of a major taxidermy operation in Europe
Spanish police have made one of the biggest discoveries of stuffed animals in Europe while investigating possible smuggling, after finding a huge warehouse in Valencia that contained stuffed animals, including rhinos, polar bears and elephants.

Related news
Smuggler caught near San Diego
An American caught hiding dozens of snakes and reptiles in his pants
The Civil Guard said in a statement that it discovered more than 1,000 samples in an industrial warehouse with an area of ​​50,000 square meters in Petera, Valencia, on Wednesday.

The collection of stuffed animals includes more than 400 protected species, some of which are extinct such as the bow-horned oryx, or critically endangered such as the Bengal tiger. Other species include lions, tigers, leopards, and lynxes.
Police said that the warehouse owner was under investigation for smuggling and crimes related to plants and animals, but that he was not arrested.

Investigators estimate the value of the stuffed animals to be 29 million euros ($32 million).

This discovery was the culmination of an investigation by the Valencian Police Nature Conservation Team that began in November 2021 when the police became aware of the possible existence of such a private animal-collecting activity in Pitera.