Cheetah seized at Heathrow Airport
15.01.12
A cheetah has been seized Heathrow Airport by border officials because they were suspicious about the animal's missing identity microchip, the BBC reports. Isaac, the African cheetah, was on his way from a South African safari park to Russia when he was seized. He is being kept in the UK until it is known why his microchip was missing.
Transporting endangered animals without microchips is a breach of the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species. A spokesman for the UKBA said all endangered animals had to be clearly identifiable by a unique marking to be allowed to travel. The markings are used to tackle the trade in illegal animals and stop smuggling.
Isaac is in good health and will be kept at a UK wildlife park while investigations continued. The big cat was one of four cheetahs which landed at the airport on 22 December. Two female cheetahs were allowed to continue their journey while another male was sent back to South Africa, the agency said.
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