Dozens of rare animals seized at the Turkish border

Recently, in the northwestern Turkish city of Edirne, customs officials successfully uncovered a case of exotic animal smuggling. A medium-sized car with Greek license plates was found carrying dozens of exotic animals and was attempting to be smuggled into Turkey from Greece.

In the trunk of this car were three kangaroos, three alpacas and a Patagonian guinea pig. Inside the car were also 12 parrots and 23 flying squirrels. Many of the animals were cubs. Photos from the scene showed that the larger animals were tied up and crammed in a narrow space, while the smaller animals were crowded in cages. The driver, Yuksel D., was detained by the authorities.

All the animals survived and will be sent to the Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks. Illegal smuggling of rare animals is a serious global problem that not only threatens the survival of animals but also disrupts the ecological balance. Turkey has been actively combating illegal wildlife trade. This seizure operation demonstrates its determination and efforts to protect wild animals.

Relevant departments took swift measures. Professional wildlife protection personnel rushed to the scene to inspect and assess the animals to ensure their health. At the same time, law enforcement departments launched in-depth investigations into those involved to uncover the illegal trading network behind it. The international community has expressed appreciation for Turkey's actions and called on all countries to strengthen cooperation to combat illegal wildlife trade and protect biological resources.

At present, these seized animals will be properly placed in protected places to receive further care and protection to restore their health and adapt to the natural environment. Relevant departments said they will continue to strengthen border supervision to prevent similar illegal activities from happening again and contribute to protecting wild animals and the ecological environment. This incident reminds people that protecting wild animals is everyone's responsibility and we should jointly resist illegal wildlife trade.