Over 300 exotic animals found crammed into car at Sicilian port bound for Malta

Routine vehicle checks at a Sicilian ferry terminal took a turn when customs officers discovered €100,000 worth of illegal wildlife, packed cruelly into the back of a car bound for Malta.

Animals horrendously packed into car

Italian customs officials and the Guardia di Finanza seized 300 freshwater tortoises and 77 parrots from a car at the port of Pozzallo, in the province of Ragusa. The Maltese driver was preparing to board a catamaran to Malta when officers stopped the vehicle during routine checks.

The animals were inside boxes packed into the car, where veterinary checks found they had been transported without adequate space or temperature-control systems to protect their health. Officials said the conditions were incompatible with the animals’ nature and could cause them serious suffering.

Protected parrots among the haul

A specialist CITES team from the Guardia di Finanza examined the birds and identified 76 of the 77 parrots as members of protected species. They included scarlet, green-winged and blue-and-yellow macaws, as well as rose-breasted and white cockatoos.

CITES is the international convention that regulates trade in endangered animals and plants. Italian reports said the driver did not have the documentation required for the protected birds and that their estimated combined sale value was reported to be about €100,000.

Authorities seized all 377 animals and entrusted them to an amateur breeding facility judged suitable to care for them. The facility was to provide accommodation and care in line with veterinary requirements while arrangements for their next steps were considered.

Driver reported to prosecutors

The driver was reported to prosecutors in Ragusa over the animals’ poor transport conditions and missing CITES documents. Italian reports say the court has refused to return the animals, which remain in care while authorities decide what happens next. Officials have not said where they came from or who was due to receive them in Malta.