Cobras stranded at airport
2005-08-18 10:30
Prague - About 44 cobras, other venomous snakes and frogs from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are in the temporary custody of the Czech customs service after the person due to receive them refused to pay duty, the environment service said on Wednesday.
A man due to receive the animals disappeared as soon as he learned he had to pay customs duty, said environment official Pavla Rihova.
"These animals have been here since Friday, there are some frogs who haven't survived," she said.
The Czech environment service does not have the right to take possession of the animals, because they are not protected by the international convention banning the sale of endangered plant and animals species (Cites), Rihova said.
The emergency centres in the Czech republic for the care of wild animals do not have the capacity to look after exotic species seized by customs, she said.