Colombian authorities seized more than 230 tarantula spiders, dozens of cockroaches and a scorpion that were going to be illegally taken out of the country, according to the environment secretary for the capital, Bogotá.
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Authorities said the animals were carried by two foreigners traveling to Germany through El Dorado airport, according to the Colombian newspaper El Espectador. The two people said they were taking the creatures for academic purposes.
Port police found 232 spiders, a scorpion with seven babies, nine spider eggs and 67 cockroaches tucked into plastic containers. The two foreigners did not have the proper permits to travel with the critters, authorities said.
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The district environment secretary for Bogotá, Carolina Urrutia, said that even if the animals are transported for academic or research purposes, environmental authorities must give explicit permission.
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“We haven’t had a shipment of tarantulas this size since 2018; the largest we have had this year was shark fins,” Urrutia said in a statement. “The airport continues to be a focus of attention for wildlife trafficking in Bogotá.”
Authorities said they will decide whether the creatures will be freed or relocated after examining them, while the two people will be brought to justice and could face a fine.
Close to 3,500 shark fins and 258 pounds of fish swim bladders that were going to be taken to Hong Kong were seized in September at the airport, one of the biggest seizures of recent years. Colombia, a country rich in biodiversity, is a common target for wildlife traffickers.
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