Send to Kindle
An illegal shipment containing a diverse array of reptiles was detained on a bus at the Kalotina border crossing point. Photo by BGNES
After a Bulgarian was busted trying to smuggle monitor lizards, tortoises, snakes, caimans, pythons, chameleons and other peculiar animals into the country with the use of suitcases, the creatures have been quarantined in the Sofia zoo.
One or two of the animals have reportedly undergone medical treatment. Most of them are still babies, so they have been placed under ultraviolet light in order to prevent rickets.
The Sofia zoo has sought assistance from foreign experts on how to deal with the exotic creatures. Several zoos abroad have been contacted and asked for advice, Sofia zoo director Ivan Ivanov has told the Bulgarian National Radio.
Ten of the species captured in Monday's bizarre smuggling operation have never before inhabited the zoo.
Six monitor lizards, three caimans, three pythons, 15 chameleons, 49 tortoises, an extremely poisonous scorpion, poisonous frogs, six crabs, 10 snails and a number of cockroaches and worms were found during an inspection of a bus at the Kalotina border crossing point with Serbia at 6.45 a.m. on Monday. The exotic collection included 127 live reptiles.
The vehicle was traveling from the Czech Republic.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
The European Commission has given approval for the construction of nearly 33 km of the new "Europa" highway in the section connecting the Kalotina checkpoint on the border with Serbia and the ring road of Sofia
Minister Demerdzhiev said that the repair of the border crossing will expand it and turn it into a place that can accommodate the heavy traffic from the highway
The situation near the village of Dimchevo, Burgas region may be described as a real eco-catastrophe.
Customs officers found more than 58 kg of cocaine during a specialized operation at the port of Varna-West.
The Chinese krait and the Chinese cobra may be the original source of the newly discovered coronavirus that has triggered an outbreak of a deadly infectious respiratory illness in China this winter, CNN reported.
About 30 migrants attempting to reach the British coast by two boats were rescued in the English Channel today, French authorities said.
Bulgarian authorities found themselves grappling with a peculiar case involving a 60-year-old Ukrainian woman
In a pioneering initiative to address road safety, a new campaign will see road offenders receiving letters from relatives of those who lost their lives in accidents
Bulgaria is grappling with a sharp increase in counterfeit currency, with the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) reporting a concerning surge in fake banknotes, particularly those of 100 BGN denominations
In a chilling turn of events, the lifeless body of a man was discovered in Sofia's "Zapaden Park" yesterday, as reported by NovaTV
In a tragic turn of events, a 57-year-old man fatally assaulted a 42-year-old woman in her Cherven Bryag home before taking his own life in another residence
In Stara Zagora, Bulgarian authorities apprehended a 35-year-old man who attempted to bribe traffic police with a BGN 20 banknote
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022
