Overview
- Guardia Civil officers found the protected African felines inside a 50‑square‑meter enclosure at a private finca in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
- The group comprised an adult male, a pregnant female and three roughly four‑month‑old cubs, indicating active breeding without authorization.
- Agents determined the animals were brought into the Canary Islands without required CITES permits or customs and health controls.
- MITECO authorized the transfer of all five servals to specialized, CITES‑accredited facilities for custody and care.
- Three residents are being investigated for an alleged crime against protected wildlife, with possible administrative and customs violations under Canary Islands Decree 30/2018 and Spain’s Animal Welfare Law 7/2023.