A man is facing nine years behind bars after police in Colombia found him trying to sell a polar bear rug in his shop.
The suspect, not named by police in Cali, Valle del Cauca, was arrested and is facing charges of wildlife trafficking, local media reported on 21st April.
Police working with wildlife officials established the skin was genuine and came from an endangered polar bear, listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Species.
Evidence photos show the suspect with his back to the camera as the police and the environmental protection agents display him and the large bearskin following his arrest.
The skin, fixed to a black fabric base, is huge, and it is unclear where the man obtained it.
Police said in a statement that the suspect “was caught exhibiting it for sale in a commercial establishment located in the centenary neighbourhood of Commune 2.”
The man reportedly faces nine years in prison for wildlife trafficking and is set to appear before a judge.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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