Michael Coy
THE Guardia Civil has rescued many exotic animals that were being offered for sale in Malaga.
Live animals, including leopards, monkeys and a flamingo, as well as dead animals’ remains (zebra skins, turtle shells) have been recovered.
At the moment, 26 people are facing charges of illegal online trafficking in protected species. The benemérita (nickname of the Guardia Civil) has released a report which states that no fewer than 17 animals have been confiscated from the criminals.
The sting operation, codenamed “Faunus” (the Latin word for ‘animal’) has uncovered no fewer than 24 crimes, and among the items seized are firearms and sophisticated poaching equipment.
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Spain has strict laws stipulating at what time of year some animals may be culled, and prohibiting the extraction of immature fish (this law exists because unless fish reach reproduction age, their entire population is threatened with extinction).
The suspects were using completely illegal vessels, without any registration or documentation, and violating safety measures. Some of them had previously been arrested for similar offences, and were still under fishing bans imposed by the courts, conduct for which they have also been charged.
A total of 116 inspections were carried out in the operation (46 concerning fishing and 70 relating to on-land hunting), and a total of 141 administrative violations were detected. These violations were mainly for hunting and fishing during closed seasons, without permission from the reserve owner, in prohibited areas, and for violating safety measures.
The investigations were carried out by the Spanish Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA), under the direction and coordination of the Málaga Environmental Prosecutor’s Office. The CITES authority of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge and the “AAP Primadomus” exotic mammal rescue centre are collaborating, as they have the appropriate characteristics and capabilities to care for some of the protected species. All the evidence has been forwarded to the Málaga Environmental Prosecutor’s Office.
However, this is not the only animal-related incident that has come to light in Malaga in 2025. Less than a month ago, the Guardia Civil rescued nearly 200 abused animals. They were found in overcrowded conditions, in a poor state of hygiene and sanitation, surrounded by sharp objects or other diseased animals.
As reported by the benemérita, they were found in private kennels, livestock farms, zoos, and shelters. Within the framework of Operation Malum, agents from the Nature Protection Service (Seprona)—under the direction of the Malaga Environmental Prosecutor’s Office—carried out 255 operations, inspecting 830 animals of different species and detecting more than 540 administrative violations of animal regulations.
The majority were related to animal welfare, documentary and health records. Of the total violations, 55 of them related to the ownership of potentially dangerous animals. Thus, according to reports from the Guardia Civil, 42 people are under investigation in various municipalities across the province.
There were also dogs whose ears or tails had been docked without justification, animals with bullet or pellet wounds, horses abandoned without food or water, and even animals on the verge of death, completely malnourished and unable to stand.
The animals were placed in the care of associations and animal shelters, at the disposal of the competent authorities. Only in less serious cases were they left in the custody of their owners under the supervision and control of the competent authorities.
As of the time of going to press, nothing has been released concerning the ethnicity of the offenders, but it is widely known that in many eastern cultures certain animals (or their body parts) are believed to possess medicinal properties, and this is why they are traded.
Rhino horns, for example, ground into powder, are thought in some cultures to cure cancer and to slow the ageing process. Scientists say that this is nonsense. A flamingo is prized for its glorious pink colour – but illegal traders are often unaware that these birds derive their colour from the shrimps that they eat. Unless they can feed naturally, they turn white (which defeats the whole purpose of capturing them in the first place).
