Customs officers at the Port of San Antonio in Chile discovered a shipment of animal skins. The skins came from lions, lynxes, zebras, oryxes, and foxes.
A person hid animal skins, intended for use as decorative rugs, in a container. The container belonged to a Chilean citizen returning from Europe.
This person had not declared the 16 animal skin items. The seized items included a fur coat, six fox fur hats, and five rugs made from lion, lynx, zebra, oryx, and fox hides.
The shipment violated Chile’s Law No. 20.962, which enforces the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This law regulates the trade of protected animals and plants. Its goal is to prevent illegal trafficking.
Wildlife trafficking: a global crisis
Wildlife trafficking is a multibillion-dollar illegal industry that threatens many endangered species. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), illegal wildlife trade is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity. The other big threat is habitat destruction.
Animal skins, bones, and other body parts are often smuggled for fashion, decoration, or traditional medicine. Big cats like lions and leopards are particularly at risk due to demand for their pelts. Zebras and foxes are hunted for their fur.
Latin America has become a key transit point for wildlife trafficking. Many illegal shipments pass through ports like San Antonio.
The case in Chile is now under investigation by the San Antonio Prosecutor’s Office.
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