The Special Prosecutor for the Environment raided a property owned by former player José Rijo on Thursday, where he rescued three crocodiles that he held irregularly and in dire conditions. A fourth crocodile died.
The prosecution opened an investigation that could lead to sanctions against Rijo, said San Cristóbal’s Attorney General for the Environment, Rigoberto Santana del Rosario, who led the operation together with the authorities of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Zoo National.
The house with incursions is located on Los Peloteros street, in the urbanization El Rosal, in Madre Vieja Sur, in this municipality.
“These are four crocodiles that we found in an area where they cannot be, in violation of Law 64-00. The circumstances in which they were found resulted in the death of one of these animals, it is unfortunate, but what we are trying is that those who survived can be in better conditions, in a place where they receive adequate protection and care. said Santana del Rosary beads.
The note says the three survivors stayed around a small pool, with only a few liters of water, threatening their health and lives.
The authorities will transfer them to the National Zoological Park, where they will be subject to the corresponding veterinary analysis and care for their later integration into a suitable habitat.
The crocodile is a species whose conservation is under threat, so possession is not allowed unless it is in zoos and similar areas, said environmental ministry biologist Nelson García Mercado. “The animals are in appalling health conditions. They throw their food with everything and plastic bags ”, the professional explains.
A press release from the Attorney General’s Office indicates that the former Major League Baseball player had the animals in captivity without proper environmental permits, in violation of the General Law on the Environment and Natural Resources (64-00), in the Articles 136, 137, 174, 175.1 and 175.3.
It states that the operation was approved by the Judicial Office for Permanent Reception Services of this jurisdiction, through Judge Katerine Rubio Matos, and that investigations are continuing.