Overview
- In a private finca in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Seprona agents found a 50-square-meter enclosure holding an adult male, a pregnant female and three cubs about four months old.
- The seizure is tied procedurally to the broader Lazos de Sangre case, in which police detained José A. M., known as “José, el del Buque,” as an alleged narcotrafficking leader.
- Investigators say the servals lacked required import documentation, triggering potential wildlife, administrative and customs offenses under Spanish and Canary Islands law.
- Possession, breeding and trade of wild felids are prohibited in the archipelago under Decree 30/2018, reinforced by Spain’s Law 7/2023 on animal rights and welfare.
- The animals were transferred to CITES-accredited exotic-fauna facilities for care under MITECO authorization while the criminal and administrative inquiries continue.