Authorities in Spain have seized one of the largest taxidermy collections in Europe, including several extinct and severely threatened animals.
Spanish Police found more than 1000 animals in an industrial warehouse in Betera, Valencia on Wednesday (local time), according to Reuters.
The huge collection included hundreds of protected, threatened, and extinct species and is estimated to be worth more than €29 million (NZD$46 million).
It included species such as the scimitar oryx, which has been extinct in the wild since 2000, and the Bengal tiger which is endangered with fewer than 2000 in the wild. Cheetahs, lions, and lynx were also seized.
The owner of the warehouse is under investigation for smuggling and crimes against flora and fauna but has not been arrested, according to local police.
The discovery is a result of an investigation by the Valencia Police which began in November 2021.
