Authorities Find Over 1,000 Taxidermy Animals — Including Extinct Species — in Spanish Building
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Authorities are investigating what is being called one of the largest collections of taxidermy animals in all of Europe.
According to Reuters, in a statement Sunday, Spain's police force, the Guardia Civil, revealed it found more than 1,000 taxidermy animals — including elephants, rhinos, and polar bears — inside a 538,000 square foot warehouse in Valencia, Spain, on Wednesday.
Taxidermy is the art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting an animal's body or skin for display.
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Reuters added that the Guardia Civil seized the massive collection and launched an investigation into whether the preserved animals were smuggled goods.
Over 400 stuffed animals belonging to protected species, and several creatures considered extinct, were found inside the warehouse, per the outlet, which added that a preserved scimitar oryx — declared extinct in the wild in 2000 — and an endangered Bengal tiger were both located inside the warehouse among taxidermy lynxes, leopards, cheetahs, and lions.
The collection of preserved animals is estimated to be worth $32 million, according to Reuters.
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The Associated Press reported that the authorities are investigating whether the individual claiming to be the owner of all the animals has the proper paperwork to prove they own the collection legally.
The Guardia Civil stated the discovery is the largest find of "protected stuffed specimens" in Spain's history, per AP.
