On Monday, Spanish police announced the arrest of two individuals suspected of illegally selling exotic cats, including protected species like white tigers and pumas, online. In the operation, authorities seized 19 felines. The couple was apprehended on the island of Majorca, where they were allegedly breeding desert lynxes, servals from Africa, and hybrid species resulting from crossing these breeds with domestic cats, as per a police statement. Media reports suggest the arrested suspects are of Russian origin.
Further investigations revealed that their activities were just a small part of a larger international trafficking network involving breeders, transporters, and veterinarians for protected species like white tigers and black panthers. The Spanish Civil Guard and Interior Ministry noted that most animals offered for sale originated from countries like Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, being smuggled into the EU. It is suspected that the animals entered the EU through Poland from Belarus, with false documentation being used to sell them across the bloc.
Among the other species offered for sale by the couple on social media were European lynxes, hyenas, and pumas. Various images showing the cats in enclosures and officers gathering evidence were released to the public. The suspects were found to have offered a clouded leopard, a rare and elusive species, for 60,000 euros. In addition to this, authorities confiscated a caracal, two servals, and 16 hybrid felines. Over 40 animal passports from Russia, Belarus, and China were also seized as part of the operation.
Police highlighted that the trend of breeding and keeping exotic cats as pets is prevalent in countries like Russia and Ukraine, leading to concerns due to the space requirements and aggressive nature of these animals, creating risks for people and other animals.
