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Night raid at Castellar: More than 20 animals stolen in zoo heist
Monkeys, parrots and young foxes taken in targeted break in as staff fear thieves will strike again
Keepers at the Castellar Rescue Centre, in the Cádiz province, are reeling after a carefully planned night-time robbery in which more than 20 animals were stolen in what they believe was a “theft to order.” Staff say the break in, which happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning, has left them shocked and worried about both the animals and the centre’s security.The alarm was raised when workers arrived early yesterday to find several cages open and parts of the enclosure forced. According to staff, the intruders deliberately chose routes “without cameras,” avoided monitored corridors and went straight to the areas housing young and high value animals. “They came to pick and choose,” they explained, convinced the thieves knew exactly what they were looking for.
Among the missing animals are several marmosets, small primates that are easy to carry, as well as young fennec foxes, which were taken even after adult foxes tried to defend them. Numerous parrots, including African grey parrots that are highly prized on the illegal pet market, have also disappeared. Many of these birds had microchips or identification rings, but keepers fear that “in many cases, these markings may have been removed,” which would make it very hard to prove ownership if the animals are found elsewhere.
What troubles the team most is the sense that the thieves understood the centre’s routines and used them to their advantage. During the robbery, some staff members were having dinner in a lower area of the site, and the intruders appear to have taken that moment to move quickly through the enclosures. They fled as soon as they realised one of the employees was on the way back. “We don’t know what they might have broken or tampered with. The fear now is that it will happen again,” they admit.
Since the break in, workers have been checking for hidden entry points and structural damage while the Guardia Civil’s nature protection unit, Seprona, investigates whether a wildlife trafficking network is behind the theft. The rescue centre is appealing to the public for help finding the stolen animals and reminding everyone that their welfare is at serious risk outside a controlled environment.
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