Police officers from the Los Chiles station in Alajuela Province, detained two men, surnamed Castillo and Sánchez, on suspicion of breaking the Wildlife Conservation Law.

According to the police report, the incident occurred during a routine highway patrol near the border with Nicaragua.

As part of the surveillance operation, the officers requested that they stop a vehicle that had just entered the country from Nicaragua.

Inside the vehicle, officers found a large briefcase containing a live margay wild cat (Leopardus wiedii).

The margay is a small wild cat native to Central and South America. The solitary and nocturnal cat lives mainly in the rainforest. It weighs between 5.7 to 8.8 lb, with a body length of 19 to 31 inches. Its fur is brown and marked with numerous rows of dark brown or black rosettes and longitudinal streaks.

Due to its beautiful fur, it is an animal highly wanted by illegal hunters, making it an endangered species in Costa Rica.

The police proceeded to seize the animal and arrest the two men who were traveling in the vehicle.

Both suspects were brought before the Los Chiles Prosecutor's Office, where a judge ordered that a trial be opened for an offense against both men as wildlife trafficking suspects.

According to law, people found guilty of keeping wild species in captivity could pay a fine between $600 to $26,000 or even receive a prison sentence of one to three years.

Another case of possible Wildlife Law violation happened a couple of weeks ago when agents of the Judicial Organization seized two adult jaguars (Panthera onca) that were caged inside a private property located also in Alajuela.

Recently, judicial agents seized a large number of taxidermied wildlife animals that were found on private property also in Alajuela.

                                  

Anonymous complaints about wild animals hunting or in captivity can be made by calling line 1192.

                               

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