Spain seized over 1,000 stuffed animals, including hundreds of endangered or extinct species, the Civil Guard said on Sunday. The private collection, worth nearly 29 million euros ($32 million), was discovered in a warehouse in Betera, near Valencia.
The warehouse was full of stuffed leopards, white rhinos, polar bears, cheetahs, lynxes and 198 elephant tusks. In total, 1,090 stuffed animals were seized.
Around 400 of the animals are classified as protected, endangered or even extinct, like the scimitar-horned oryx once found in parts of Africa. A stuffed Bengal tiger, considered near extinction, was also found.
The owner of the collection is under investigation for smuggling and crimes against flora and fauna, police said. In November 2021, police became aware of a possible private collection in Betera and started an investigation.
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