A road traffic check near the boarders for Sicily has turned into an unexpected discovery. The carabinieri of the Villa San Giovanni station stopped a man driving a car and, during the verification, noticed the presence of numerous craft cages crammed inside the vehicle.
At their opening, the military found themselves in front of an impressive picture: about 2,200 small birds belonging to protected species – Finguelli, Cardellini, Verzellini and Verdoni – kept in precarious conditions, without space or sufficiency air. Unfortunately, some specimens had already deceased due to the methods of transport, while others showed clear signs of mistreatment.
The intervention of the Provincial Veterinary Service was requested on the spot which, after the appropriate health checks, established how most of the birds were however suitable for liberation. At the disposal of the judicial authority, the birds were therefore released, returning to their natural habitat. A gesture that has returned dignity to the animals and underlined the importance of the protection action carried out by the Carabinieri weapon.
Investigators also estimated that the detention and subsequent sale of the specimens on the parallel market could have generated an illegal gain quantified in about 200,000 euros, confirming the economic value that the wildlife unfortunately represents for those who act outside the legality.
The arrested man was reported in a state of freedom and accused of mistreatment of animals, possession of animals in conditions of serious suffering and killing and possession of specimens of protected wild species.