37 spotted seal pups rescued from China traffickers released
Source: Associated Press
37 spotted seal pups rescued from China traffickers released
BEIJING (AP) — Animal rights groups on Saturday cheered the release of 37 spotted seal pups rescued from traffickers into the wild in northern China in a small victory for efforts to save the country’s endangered species.
Humane Society International said the pups were discovered three months ago by police in a shed in a remote coastal farm in the northern Chinese city of Dalian, many of them starving and dying. Eight suspects were arrested in the operation.
The society’s Chinese partner, VShine, sent a representative to participate in the release by the Dalian authorities.
It said the pups had been taken from the wild by traffickers for the aquarium industry and for display in aquariums, shops and restaurants. Another 29 pups could not be rescued and died, having been only about 2 weeks old when found and not yet weaned from their mothers. Earlier this month, an initial batch of 24 pups was released.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/776a8b3249534852b3e053d01ad7d444
In this Friday, May 10, 2019, photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a spotted seal sits in a cage before being released by officials into the sea near Dalian in northeastern China's Liaoning province. Animal groups cheered the release of 37 spotted seal pups rescued from traffickers into the wild in northern China. (Pan Yulong/Xinhua via AP)