Current:Home > MarketsNearly 400 primate skulls headed for U.S. collectors seized in "staggering" discovery at French airport -Wealth Navigators Hub
Nearly 400 primate skulls headed for U.S. collectors seized in "staggering" discovery at French airport
View
Date:2025-04-13 00:25:39
Customs agents at France's largest airport have spent months stockpiling a shocking discovery – the trafficked skulls and other remains of more than 700 animals headed for the U.S.
The skulls were found at the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, the largest international airport in the country. Customs officers tweeted about the incident on Thursday, saying they found the skulls in "several seizures" across the airport.
Nous avons le plaisir de remettre aujourd'hui près de 400 crânes de primates issus de trafics !
— Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (@douane_france) September 21, 2023
👉 c'est le résultat de plusieurs saisies réalisées par les douaniers de #Roissy pic.twitter.com/8LBiHBFfch
Remains of the animals were found from May through December last year, officials said, with 392 packages housing primate skulls, including macaques, baboons, mandrills and chimpanzees. Those packages were mostly from Cameroon and were meant to go to people in the U.S. More than 300 other packages contained the remains of other species – and none of the seized remains were legally authorized for sale.
According to Al Jazeera, whole animals and arms and hands were also discovered in some packages.
"Trafficking in protected species is one of the most lucrative trades, after drugs, weapons and people trafficking," airport customs chief Gilbert Beltran said, adding that it generates between $8.5 billion and $21 billion every year.
According to Fabrice Gayet, a customs expert in animal trafficking, primates are generally hunted for their meat.
"The sale of the skulls," he said, "is a follow-on business."
Photos of the remains show well-preserved skulls of various species. Customs officials said they have since been given to the Natural History Museum in Aix-en-Provence.
Sabrina Krief, a primatologist at the museum, posted on social media that the "staggering" discovery revealed an attempt to traffic the remains "to collectors and hunting associations" in the U.S.
"I am stunned to think that our closest relatives, apes and great apes, are being decimated and rainforests robbed of their endangered biodiversity for a business that is as stupid as it is outrageous," Krief also said, according to Al Jazeera.
- In:
- Paris
- Illegal Wildlife Trafficking
- France
- Animal Cruelty
Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.
veryGood! (921)
Related
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Horoscopes Today, June 1, 2024
- What is ‘dry drowning’ and ‘secondary drowning’? Here's everything you need to know.
- Witnesses, doorbell camera capture chaotic scene after Akron shooting left 1 dead, 25 injured
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- Brother Marquis of Miami hip-hop group 2 Live Crew has died at 58
- Here's how much your summer cooling costs could increase as mercury rises
- New Mexico primary holds implications for Legislature and prosecutor in Alec Baldwin case
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Cyndi Lauper announces farewell tour, documentary: 'Right now this is the best I can be'
Ranking
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- South Korea pledges to retaliate against North Korea over its launch of garbage-filled balloons over border
- USWNT's Korbin Albert booed upon entering match vs. South Korea
- Dead black bear found in Arlington, Virginia was struck by car, illegally dumped, AWLA says
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Search for climbers missing in Canada's Garibaldi Park near Whistler stymied by weather, avalanche threat
- Angel Reese okay with 'bad guy' role in WNBA after Chicago Sky-Indiana Fever game
- Dead black bear found in Arlington, Virginia was struck by car, illegally dumped, AWLA says
Recommendation
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Tuesday’s primary in Montana will lock in GOP challenger to 3-term US Sen. Jon Tester
South Korea pledges to retaliate against North Korea over its launch of garbage-filled balloons over border
What is the birthstone for June? It actually has three. A guide to the colorful gems
DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
'The Bachelorette' contestants: Meet the cast of men looking to charm Jenn Tran
For Pregnant People, Heat Waves Bring An Increased Risk of Preterm and Early Term Babies, Study Finds
Simone Biles wins 9th U.S. Championships title ahead of Olympic trials