Villa San Giovanni: Over 2.200 protected birds discovered crammed into a car, freed by Carabinieri

A traffic check near the landing stages for Sicily it turned into one unexpected discovery.
I Carabinieri of the Villa San Giovanni Station they stopped a man driving a car and, during the check, they noticed the presence of numerous homemade cages crammed inside the vehicle.

Upon their opening, the soldiers found themselves faced with an impressive sight: approximately 2.200 small birds belonging to protected species – finches, goldfinches, serins and greenfinches – kept in precarious conditions, without sufficient space or air. Unfortunately some specimens had already died due to the mode of transport, while others showed clear signs of abuse.

The intervention of the was requested on site Provincial Veterinary Service which, after the appropriate health checks, established that the majority of the birds were still suitable for release. By order of theJudicial authority, the birds were therefore released, returning to their natural habitat. A gesture that has restored dignity to animals and underlined theimportance of the protection action carried out by the Carabinieri.

The investigators also estimated that the possession and subsequent sale of the specimens on the parallel market could have generated a illicit gain of approximately 200.000 euros, confirming the economic value that wildlife unfortunately represents for those who act outside the law.

The man arrested was released in a state of freedom and accused of animal cruelty, detention of animals in conditions of severe suffering and killing, and detention of specimens of protected wild species.