News:
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A network trafficking protected bird species has been dismantled in the South-West of France. Thirteen people, including Parc Animalier Des Pyrenees and its founder Serge Mounard will appear on June 19, 2025 in Cahors (Lot), for having transformed the preservation of biodiversity into illicit trade.
An investigation carried out by the National Office for Hunting and Wildlife (ONCFS), launched in 2015 after an anonymous report, revealed the direct involvement of Serge Mounard and his establishment in the concealment of birds illegally captured in the wild. According to investigations, the director of the animal park would have accepted within his establishment birds resulting from trafficking, supplied by the main players in the network, for around ten years. These animals, some of which were protected species, were then presented to the public, thus generating profits for the park.
The investigation also implicated Bastien Gaborieau, the park's animal caretaker, who allegedly played a key role in the fraudulent legalization of illegally introduced birds. He allegedly installed electronic chips and falsified marking documents in order to give these animals a legal appearance. This method would also have been used for certain mammals, such as marmots, whose fraudulent transfer was noted for sale abroad. Serge Mounard acknowledged the facts, explaining that he had used these practices to compensate for the high mortality of species born outside captivity and the difficulty in obtaining certain birds through legal channels. He admitted to laundering birds and mammals by falsifying their original documents, a process made easier by park staff's mastery of the regulations.
The kingpin of the network is suspected of having detained numerous protected species, notably Red-billed leiothrix, and of having set traps and organized bird exchanges. He is accused of having detained around sixty birds without authorization. Although he admitted the facts, he affirmed that he had not intended to sell them. Another key player, an ornithologist and trapper, played the role of supplier. He would have organized bird exchanges and recognized prohibited captures, carried out to order. He notably supplied goldfinches, nightingales and linnets. Practices such as cutting off birds' bands to hide their origin have been noted. The traffic was profitable financially. One of the accused would have received 30,000 euros for captured birds, and up to 80,000 euros for leiothrix. It is estimated that around 400 leiothrix were captured and resold each year, and that one individual sold 250 leiothrix for 87,000 euros over three years. Some breeders admitted to having bought 20 pairs of Red-billed leiothrix for up to 250 euros.
23 people were indicted in this case. Five were dismissed, six were subject to a "guilty plea" appearance. In total, thirteen people, including Serge Mounard, appeared before the Cahors criminal court (Lot) on June 19 for trafficking in protected species by an organized gang for acts dating back to a period from January 2015 to February 2017. Several nature and animal protection associations have filed civil suits, including France Nature Environnement Midi-Pyrénées.
Acteurs de la préservation de la biodiversité, un parc animalier et son fondateur impliqués dans un vaste trafic international d’oiseaux protégés
Disappointing to say the least, wow.