During the first weekend of April, federal authorities located 192 green iguanas that had been illegally trafficked from the state of Veracruz to Oaxaca. Due to the conditions in which they were being transported, at least 31 of them were found dead.
The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) reported on Monday, April 6, about the events that occurred over the weekend after an inspection of the trunk of a passenger bus in the neighboring state. No arrests have been made in connection with this incident.
According to official information, the events took place on Saturday, April 4, when personnel from the Naval Base assigned to the Municipal Public Security Directorate of Matías Romero Avendaño, Oaxaca, found the animals in the trunk of a passenger bus.
The 192 iguanas were found inside 15 cardboard boxes, which had been placed in the trunk of a “Sur” passenger bus parked at the second-class terminal in the Oaxacan municipality. They had been loaded onto the bus in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, and their final destination was the municipality of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca.
After receiving the report, personnel from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) in Oaxaca went to the scene and assessed the animals. It was confirmed that, of the 192 iguanas, only 161 were alive and 31 were found dead.
Based on the animals’ behavior, it was determined that they had been captured from their natural habitat; that is, they exhibited alert behavior and resistance to human contact.
After confirming that the 161 live iguanas were in optimal condition, they were immediately released back into their habitat, located in a tropical dry forest ecosystem. The 31 dead iguanas were buried in a controlled manner to prevent any health risks.
Federal authorities, through a press release, called on citizens to report illegal wildlife trafficking in the country.
“Illegal wildlife trafficking is not only a crime, it is a direct threat to biodiversity and the balance of our ecosystems. Every animal illegally removed from its habitat represents an irreparable loss. We will continue working to protect wildlife and to punish this crime,” stated Mariana Boy Tamborrell, Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection.
Source: lasillarota
