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26 rare reptiles have been found by border police at Cologne Airport, Germany. The creatures had been sewn into dolls and packed into contraband toys from Mexico. Ten of the reptiles found were dead.
According to the BBC, customs authorities at the German airport said the reptiles were sewn inside the cloth dolls and ten of them were already dead when they were found. The animals were confiscated in two parcels on October 30 and November 8.
The lizards that are part of the endangered species were intended for private buyers in Germany. These include several species that the CITES global agreement seeks to protect.
German officials are now trying to determine the origin of the reptiles using DNA samples. It is unclear whether the creatures came from nature or from captive breeding programs.
The German Customs Service is currently working with Mexican authorities and zoologists from the Alexander Koenig Research Museum (ZFMK) in Bonn to determine what will happen to the surviving reptiles. The 16 could be brought back to Mexico, in their natural habitat.
German police have launched an investigation to identify traffickers.
The Global Cites Agreement is a 1973 convention on international trade in endangered species, signed by 182 states and the EU and covers approximately 6,000 animal species and 30,000 types of plants.
Publisher: Alexandra Andronie
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