Environment Ministry relocates seven endangered lions in Baghdad
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Environment Ministry on Sunday relocated seven lions it said are listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) from a nursery in Baghdad’s Al-Adhamiyah district to an approved shelter.
The ministry said the lions were seized and transferred under a ruling by Al-Adhamiyah Misdemeanor Court, in coordination with the Environmental Police and the Iraqi Green Cross. They will receive veterinary care and be housed under appropriate environmental conditions.
Adnan Al-Halfi, director-general of the ministry’s legal department, said the operation was carried out under Iraq’s environmental protection and endangered-species trade laws as part of efforts to protect biodiversity and combat illegal trafficking in threatened wildlife.
The ministry also urged zoo owners in Baghdad and other provinces to officially register their facilities to ensure they are properly regulated and accredited.
