Police make shocking discovery in raid on veterinary clinic: 'It saddened us to see'

A raid at a veterinary clinic in Posadas, Misiones, resulted in the recovery of 128 wild animals.

What happened?

According to Noticias Ambientales, a judge in Posadas, Misiones, ordered authorities to conduct a raid on a local veterinary clinic with the help of OHANA Wildlife Conservation Center, which provided technical support. 

Authorities discovered 128 wild animals in captivity at the clinic, 14 of which were dead, with some found frozen. Included among the wild animal species were lizards, monkeys, turtles, caimans, and iguanas.

The conditions the animals were living in were horrific, with the animals lacking basic hygiene and water. Authorities found many of the animals malnourished and overcrowded together in dirty conditions. 

Noticias Ambientales reported that OHANA and the Dante Piesco Foundation released a statement that said, "It saddened us to see animals that should be free in the Misiones jungle treated as if they were objects."

Why is this incident concerning?

The animals discovered in the veterinary clinic were being trafficked for the illegal pet trade, and as evidenced by their discovery, wildlife trafficking can harm or be deadly for wild animals, resulting in significant population declines for smuggled species. 

As OHANA and the Dante Piesco Foundation explained in their statement, as reported by Noticias Ambientales, "Nine out of ten do not arrive alive at their destination. It is not rescue; it is cruelty."

Additionally, when traffickers smuggle wild animals across borders, they become invasive species, which means they can introduce diseases in their new homes that can wipe out native species. 

Invasive species also threaten to imbalance local ecosystems, as they can disrupt food supplies, deplete vital resources, alter soil chemistry, and more. These changes first affect native wildlife and plants, but then affect local human communities. 

What's being done to prevent illegal animal trafficking in Argentina?

In Posadas, Misiones, OHANA and the Dante Piesco Foundation took this raid as an opportunity to raise social awareness about wildlife trafficking. The organizations urged the local community to refrain from keeping or purchasing wild animals as pets and requested that people report any instances of trafficking or mistreatment of wildlife they come across.

Currently, Argentina has only a couple of laws on the books regarding the mistreatment of wildlife, but organizations like WCS Argentina are working with government agencies and civil society organizations to do more.

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