Police probe collection of stuffed wild animals including endangered species

The collection containing 1,000 stuffed animals was discovered by Spain’s Civil Guard (Guardia Civil via AP)

Spain’s Civil Guard says it is investigating a businessman in the eastern Valencia region who owned a private taxidermy collection with more than 1,000 stuffed animals, including more over 400 from protected species and at least one specimen of a North African oryx, already extinct.

The collection would fetch 29 million euros (£24 million) on the black market, the Civil Guard said in a statement on Sunday, adding that its owner could be charged with trafficking and other crimes against the environment.