Two female wallabies were found in a pickup truck bound for Mexico, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Tuesday. The wallabies, which are native to Australia and protected by the Endangered Species Act, were discovered Monday during an outbound inspection at the remote Falcon Dam International Bridge. They are 28 to 30 inches tall, weigh six to eight pounds each, and are believed to be about a year old. Their value is estimated at about $1,400 each, CBP spokesman Rick Pauza said. They were turned over to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. No arrests had been made as of today but an investigation was ongoing.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates wildlife smuggling at $4.2 billion a year, second only to illegal drugs. |