The owner will have to prove the legal origin of the feline
MÉRIDA, Yucatan.- Authorities rescued this Thursday a cute and beautiful Bengal tiger cub at the “Manuel Crescencio Rejón” Mérida International Airport.
This small specimen corresponds to a species that is in danger of extinction, so its rescue carried out by elements of the National Guard becomes even more relevant.
Personnel from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) intervened in the work.
The feline was put into a shelter at the Mérida Centennial Zoo while its owner certifies its legal origin, the corresponding documentation, and its legal status is determined.
The animal was detected in cargo transit at the aforementioned airport.
Why is it called the Bengal tiger?
This species is called ‘Bengal’ due to its place of origin: the Bengal region of India.
Bengal tigers are the largest tiger species, accounting for about half of the wild tiger population. For many centuries they have played an important role in the tradition and culture of India.
Jaguar trafficking in Yucatan
On the other hand, as we reported, the researcher from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Rodrigo Medellín, indicated that the great biodiversity of Yucatán puts it in the crosshairs of traffickers of felines, wood, marine species, and birds, which are part of the catalog that They are mainly destined for China, where high sums are paid.
The researcher is part of the UNAM Vertebrate Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, which detected the presence of the Chinese mafia three years ago, after finding the body of a jaguar that his team was monitoring in the Chiapas jungle, without head or claws.
“Definitely, the jaguar is being taken more frequently. Furthermore, the forests of the entire Peninsula have been preyed upon by Chinese mafias that operate in the southern part, preying on precious woods ”, the researcher highlighted.
Source: sipse.com
