breeding

Oct. 11 (UPI) — A hidden breeding facility in Spain was found to contain the remains of 250 animals and 171 live animals that were endangered and recovered to receive veterinary care.

The illicit breeding facility was located in the back of a warehouse in Meson do Vento in Ordes, Spain, the Spanish Civil Guard announced Saturday.

The warehouse manager has been detained and faces charges for alleged animal abuse, professional intrusion in the field of veterinary medicine and illegal possession of protected species.

Most of the deceased animals were dogs and birds, including Chihuahuas, and some of the animals found living fed on the remains in the absence of food.

Many were in “different stages of decomposition, some even mummified,” the Civil Force said, as reported by CBS News.

Exotic birds, dwarf horses, chinchillas, chickens and ducks were among those found living, as well as dogs.

The kennels and cages housing the animals were covered in excrement, which contributed to the dangers faced by the remaining animals.

Civil Guard officers also found a large supply of expired medicines and other veterinary materials that lacked prescriptions.

Spanish authorities have discovered several animal trafficking rings this year, including one in which two men had more than 150 exotic species kept and an unlicensed pet store in Nules.

Officers also broke up an online ring based in the Balearic Islands that trafficked large cats, including pumas, lynx and white tigers.

The site of the latest illicit pet breeding facility was located in northwestern Spain and about 350 miles north of Lisbon.

A zoo has announced the birth of red panda twins after introducing the parents in 2024.

The cubs were delivered at Amazon World, Isle of Wight, on 17 June.

Their mother Xiao, 10, was paired with 10-month-old male Flint after he was imported from Belfast Zoo with a view to breeding “in the next couple of years”, the zoo previously said.

The species, which lives in the eastern Himalayas and China, is endangered and on the decline, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

In a Facebook post, the zoo, near Arreton, said it was “over the moon” at its success.

It added: “The cubs are still young and there is always a risk but Xiao has done such a fantastic job so far.

“The cubs will remain hidden in the nest boxes until at least three months old.

“Senior staff have been and will continue to monitor the enclosure, nest boxes and cubs via CCTV installed to make sure all is well.”

Red pandas are poached for fur, get caught in hunters’ wild pig and deer traps and are also under threat from forest clearance, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.