Elephants, rhinos & Co.
Spanish police uncover huge private collection containing more than a thousand stuffed animals
Spanish civilian officials inspect the stuffed animals confiscated in Bétera, including elephants and rhinos
© Civil Guard / DPA
In Spain, the police have discovered a gigantic private collection of stuffed animals, some of which are protected, in a warehouse. These include exotic animals such as elephants, rhinos and polar bears. The police put the black market value of the collection at almost 30 million euros.
The sight leaves you speechless: 198 large tusks made of elephant ivory are neatly lined up in the middle of other stuffed animals, some of them exotic. The Spanish police took the pictures during a search of two huge warehouses in the city of Bétera in the Spanish province of Valencia. The officials discovered a total of 1090 animals there. The Guardia Civil announced on Sunday on its website that it was the largest private collection of its kind ever discovered in Spain.
Exotic, partly protected, stuffed animals such as elephants, rhinos, polar bears, cheetahs, leopards, lions, lynx, snow leopards and crocodiles are stored on more than 50,000 square meters. According to the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), 405 of the more than 1,000 specimens are protected species, including those that are already extinct in the wild, such as the African saber antelope or the almost extinct bengal tiger.
In addition to stuffed animals, officials also found 198 large tusks made of elephant ivory
© Civil Guard / DPA
As the newspaper “Las Provincias” reports, the officers also confiscated a sofa and 20 chairs made of crocodile leather that were found in the businessman’s apartment.
Spain: Stuffed animals have an estimated value of almost 30 million euros
It will now be checked where the animals came from. The owner, a well-known Valencian entrepreneur, said he inherited most of the animals from his father, the newspaper Las Provincias wrote. He is said to have behaved uncooperatively towards the officers. In order to gain access to the premises where he keeps his private collection, the police had to obtain a court order.
A lion and a giant crocodile are also among the stuffed animals
© Civil Guard / DPA
The pieces found have an estimated black market value of more than 29 million euros, it is said. According to investigators, once the research is complete, they could be given to natural science museums in Spain or donated to a non-profit organization for preservation, research and exhibition for the public.
Sources: Civil Guard, “Las Provincias”