'Exotic cat smuggling ring' uncovered by police in Spain
Spain's Civil Guard seize 19 animals, including a caracal and two servals, in an operation on Mallorca.
Tuesday 15 April 2025 12:49, UK
Two people have been arrested in Spain in connection with the sale of exotic cats on the internet.
The nation's Civil Guard seized 19 animals, including a caracal and two servals, in an operation in Manacor, on Mallorca.
More than 40 irregular animal passports from countries such as Russia, Belarus and China were also found.
The operation was said to have got under way in March last year after the Civil Guard was alerted to a couple in Palma allegedly raising servals, caracals and hybrids with domestic cats to sell them using social networks.
The suspects are alleged to have offered for sale white tigers, clouded leopards - for which they were asking €60,000 (£51,000) - Eurasian lynxes, hyenas, black leopards and pumas.
Attempts to breed and own these types of pets are widespread in Russia and Ukraine, and the trend has begun to be imitated in other countries, the authorities added.
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The animals will be transferred to a rescue and rehabilitation centre for exotic mammals in Alicante.