Spanish Police Bust Exotic Cat Smuggling Ring in Mallorca; Two Arrested
Madrid, Apr 15: Spanish authorities have arrested two individuals in connection with an illegal exotic feline smuggling operation based in Mallorca. The Civil Guard announced the seizure of 19 wild animals, including a caracal and two servals, during a raid in Manacor on the Balearic island.
The investigation, launched in March last year, revealed that a couple in Palma de Mallorca were breeding and selling servals, caracals, and hybrids with domestic cats through social media platforms. Authorities also uncovered over 40 irregular animal passports from countries such as Russia, Belarus, and China.
The suspects are believed to have offered high-value wild animals for sale, including white tigers, clouded leopards—priced at €60,000 ($68,000)—Eurasian lynxes, hyenas, black leopards, and pumas.
Officials noted that the trend of keeping exotic felines as pets, common in countries like Russia and Ukraine, is increasingly being mimicked in other nations.
The rescued animals are being transferred to a specialized rescue and rehabilitation centre for exotic mammals in Alicante, eastern Spain, for proper care and assessment.
