Service dogs are one of the most in-demand categories of breeds. Many government agencies, including airport security, use them to detect and seize contraband. Having found the forbidden cargo, the four-legged searcher starts barking loudly, attracting the attention of customs officials.
That’s what happened at Manila Airport in the Philippines. The service dog was sniffing the suitcases and suddenly became fussy. Law-enforcers rushed to check the suspicious luggage, not suspecting that they would find the real miniature zoo.The suspicious luggage consisted of four suitcases.
The representatives of the airport security had seen many things in their life, but the bags full of turtles were found there for the first time. They found a total of 1,529 specimens. Some of the turtles had their legs wrapped in duct tape. The turtles were hidden in the bags so that they could pass customs. The officers immediately informed the law-enforcement authorities and the animal control service. All of the turtles are quite valuable cargo.
These species are protected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Experts examined the contents of the luggage and valued them at $150,000 of net black market proceeds. Then, with the help of a video surveillance system, they tracked down the owner of the luggage. Fortunately, the animals were not harmed.
After freeing them from the duct tape, the “captives” were handed over to the local department of the Ministry of the Environment, which is responsible for wildlife trafficking. The reptiles underwent a rehabilitation course, after which experts will decide on further assistance for them.
Well, we can only hope that in the near future the turtles will return to their comfortable habitat. Most likely, they will be returned home or sent to a nature reserve.