On Friday May 4, 50 live crocodiles were seized by customs at Heathrow airport, England. They were bound for a farm in Cambridgeshire to be bred for their meat.Animal welfare staff from City of London Corporation came across the year-old juvenile saltwater crocodiles on Friday, during routine checks on shipments, after they had arrived on a cargo flight from Malaysia, as The Telegraph reports.
Source: The Telegraph
The reptiles were destined to go to a farm near Cambridge. The animal welfare staff noted that they were not packaged in accordance with the rules in force. One of them died during the trip, the others will be relocated.The authorities reported the situation to the CITES Border Force - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Grant Miller, Director of the Border Force, said:
The crocodiles had started to fight each other during the flight as space was limited, so little attention had been paid to their welfare. We will seize anything that contravenes CITES regulations, so this should serve as a warning to those thinking about transporting wildlife in such conditions.
The officials did have a permit to transport them, but failed to comply with the transport conditions.
Source: The Telegraph
Each box had enough room for only four crocodiles but 10, foot-long crocodiles had been packed into each one.Furthermore the animals had not been separated from each other, as required by the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) regulations.Andrea A. Gruber, head of special cargo for IATA, said:
The IATA Live Animals Regulations are the worldwide standard for transporting live animals by air and have been established to ensure all animals are transported safely and humanely. Industry must comply with the Regulations, which are enforced by government authorities. Any failure to meet with the existing requirements can impact animal safety and welfare.
H/t: The Telegraph
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