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Customs at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport has seized hundreds of skulls of protected monkey species. The skulls of the monkeys and other animals were largely in packages from Cameroon, customs said on Thursday. The recipients were collectors and hunting clubs in the US who used the skulls as gifts or prizes.
Some packages also contained whole specimens or forearms with hands, which were destroyed for health reasons. No species protection approval was required for any item.
In addition to monkeys, other species such as otters, big cats, monitor lizards and birds of prey are also smuggled, according to customs. Customs officials at France’s largest airport made similar discoveries almost every day.
“I am shocked”
On Thursday, customs handed over 700 monkey and animal skulls seized between May and December 2022 to the Natural History Museum in Aix-en-Provence, which plans to examine and exhibit them.
“I am appalled to imagine our closest relatives, monkeys and apes, being decimated and the rainforests being robbed of their endangered biodiversity for a deal that is as stupid as it is outrageous,” says the museum’s monkey expert, Prof. Sabrina Krief. (SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
