Saltwater crocodiles from Malaysia found at London Heathrow Airport had not been packed in accordance with international regulations, making the importation illegal (AFP Photo/ARNO BURGI) |
British officials have seized an illegal shipment of 50 live crocodiles at London Heathrow Airport, the UK Border Force said Friday.
The
year-old juvenile saltwater crocodiles were found crammed into five boxes
coming from Malaysia.
The were
bound for a farm in Cambridgeshire, eastern England, where they were to be bred
for their meat.
The animals
had not been packed in accordance with international regulations, making the
importation illegal.
Each box
only had room for four crocodiles but 10 had been packed into each one.
"It is
just not acceptable for reptiles to be transported in this way," said
Grant Miller, head of the national Border Force Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) at Heathrow.
"The
crocodiles had started to fight each other during the flight as space was
limited, so little attention had been paid to their welfare.
"We
will seize anything that contravenes CITES regulations, so this should serve as
a warning to those thinking about transporting wildlife in such
conditions."
The
crocodiles were found on April 27. One has since died and the others are being
cared for before being rehomed.
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