The Civil Guard is conducting investigations into a resident of Molina de Segura after locating six turtles protected by protection regulations in his home, cases similar to the seizure of 18 turtles in Mallorca, animals whose origin the owner could not prove to the agents.
The notice came from the citizens and activated the Nature Protection Service (Seprona), which inspected the garden of the house and found six specimens of protected species without the required documentation.
Seprona's performance
According to sources from the body, the Seprona officers identified the residence, intervened the animals and processed proceedings for the alleged commission of a crime against flora and fauna, as its legal origin cannot be justified.
The action originated after a neighbor's notice and was recorded in a official statement from the Civil Guard, which details the intervention and the legal status of the animals.
Intervened species
During the search, the following items were seized: three female Mediterranean tortoises (Testudo hermanni), a male and a female Moorish tortoise (Testudo graeca) and a female Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii), all kept in the garden of the property, in line with other mass seizures of turtles.
- mediterranean tortoise (Testudo hermanni): three females.
- black tortoise (Testudo graeca): one male and one female.
- russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii): a female.
Protection and applicable regulations
La spur-thighed tortoise It has a particularly strict protection regime in Spain and the European Union: it is considered endangered nationally and vulnerable internationally, protected by the Habitats Directive, and its ownership as a pet has been prohibited since 2015.
La mediterranean tortoise It also enjoys a high level of protection. It is listed as an endangered species in the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species and is included in Directive 92/43/EEC. Furthermore, its conservation is supported by CITES and the Bern Convention, instruments that prevent the capture of wild specimens and regulate the trade of those born in captivity.
For its part, the Russian tortoise It is included in CITES Appendix II, which requires that any specimen have documentation proving its captive origin or legal import. Although it is not listed as endangered in the national catalog, this regulation submits its trade to control.
Fate of animals
The six specimens have been transferred to the El Valle Wildlife Recovery Center, in Murcia, where they will remain under specialized supervision for evaluation and care.
The intervention, driven by citizen collaboration and carried out by Seprona, reveals the weight of European and Spanish regulations in the protection of these species and the legal consequences for maintain protected fauna without proving its origin, as shown by cases of turtle smuggling to Hong Kong.
