Officials uncover horrifying international scheme hidden behind online pet ads: 'A global criminal organization'
Spanish authorities seized 19 exotic cats from Majorca and arrested the couple who allegedly intended to sell them, The New York Times reported.
A Russian couple was arrested on charges of operating a smuggling ring in multiple continents. On the island, police arrested the two suspects and seized exotic felines, including a caracal, two servals, and 16 hybrids.
Caracals are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and are threatened by habitat loss and hunting.
In the raid, authorities uncovered travel documents for more than 40 other animals to countries including Russia, Belarus, and China.
"The detainees sold various animal species internationally through internet portals, including white tigers, black leopards, hyenas, and pumas," they said in a statement, according to the Times. "The operation has uncovered a global criminal organization involving breeders, transporters, and veterinarians."
According to Panthera, the illegal wildlife trade is a multibillion dollar market. Big cats, such as tigers and lions, are a sought-after commodity across the globe.
Unusual pets have become popular on social media, too. For example, the Persian Gulf is a big market for exotic pets, with the crown prince of Dubai having shown off his pet lion, Moochi, on social media. The World Wildlife Fund found that "online platforms are now the dominant market for the trafficking of live wildlife for exotic pets and wildlife products."
The World Economic Forum reports that 4,000 animal and plant species are affected by illegal trade. According to a United Nations report, it is part of a larger problem that puts over one million species at risk of extinction. In captivity, cats can become distressed and harm themselves and others. In South Africa, a captive tiger chewed through its own front legs.
Wildlife trafficking doesn't just put those animals at risk; since they are taken out of their habitats and upset ecosystems, plants, other creatures, and insects are also in danger.
Invasive species threaten ecosystems, human health, and the economy as well, causing over $423 billion in losses annually throughout the world. Even domestic cats are considered an invasive species, as they can impact bird species in certain countries.
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"Because animal trafficking is an international affair, conservationists say, curbing it requires a unified global approach," Ephrat Livni wrote for the Times.
Roughly 5,800 animals, including tigers and caracals, are protected by CITES. In 2022, the United States passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which provides protections for exotic cats against trade, purchase, breeding, and possessing.
Despite this, wildlife trafficking still happens. However, authorities do make stops. In Israel, officials discovered exotic cats were being trafficked with the use of heavy-duty drones. In Canada, a woman was fined $15,000 for illegally breeding Savannah cats.
In 2024, a global operation saved more than 20,000 endangered animals, including 18 big cats.
"Efforts to combat wildlife trafficking call for a decisive shift toward harmonized and dissuasive criminal sanctions at the international level," wildlife conservation specialist Meganne Natali said.
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