The Ministry of Environment reported on Friday, 19 September 2021 on the rescuing of dozens of exotic animals that were being mistreated in the Punta Cana vacation area. The animals were used to earn money for their owners who sold a photo of these with tourists on Uvero Alto beach in northern Punta Cana, La Altagracia province.
The Ministry of Environment said that the creatures were abused and kept in inappropriate conditions in violation of Environment Law 64-00 and Biodiversity Law 333-15.
The Vice Ministry of Protected Areas acted after several months of investigating the situation of the exotic creatures. The Ministry of Environment Department of Regulation and Control of Wildlife acted in coordination with the National Environmental Protection Service (Senpa), the Attorney General for the Environment and the Tourist Police (Politur).
The species recovered are: 14 macaws (Ara ararauna, Ara chloroptera, Ara nobilis); 14 monkeys (Saimiri sciureus and Cebus apella), 4 Python reticulatus, 3 parrots (Eclectus roratus, Amazona ochrocephala) and 2 cockatoos of (Cacatua alba, and Cacatua moluccensis).
The species were transferred to a safe spaces at the National Zoo where they will receive the necessary care and will remain for their survival.
All the rescued animals are species whose transnational trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The country has been a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since December 17, 1986, so the origin of the legal acquisition of these species used in national trade must be determined.
The Ministry of Environment said that Alberto Sole Plana and Arnaldo Andrés Gómez were arrested in the operation and will be arraigned in court.
The Ministry of Environment stated that it will not allow the mistreatment and exploitation of any species. The operations with the purpose of safeguarding the physical integrity of these animals will continue to be carried out throughout the country.
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Ministry of Environment
20 September 2021