200 Animals, Including Rare White Lions, Found Captive in Bangkok Compound

A pet shop owner in Thailand was charged him with illegal possession of and trade in protected wildlife after police discovered more than 200 animals, including rare white lions, in captivity at his property in Bangkok.

The 14 albino African lions, along with 23 meerkats, 17 marmoset monkeys, 12 peacocks, tortoises, birds, other reptiles and more species from overseas were found after police were tipped off by neighbors who lodged complaints to authorities.

"We received a complaint about the smell from the neighbors and after investigating, we discovered the animals hidden there," Police Colonel Ek Ekasart said, according to the AFP.

The lions appeared to be in good condition, Bangkok Post reported.

Montri Boonprom-on, 41, the owner of a pet shop in the Bangkok's renowned Chatuchak market, was arrested by police. Charges were also pressed against another unnamed Thai man, according to the AFP. If convicted, the men coould face up to four years in jail and a 40,000 baht ($1,300) fine.

Police found a hornbill and a leopard, both of which are protected by Thai law, packed into a shipping container and scheduled for delivery Monday, the Associated Press reported.

Thailand is well-known as a central black market for the illegal animal trade, driven by demand for exotic pets and traditional medicines made from animal parts. While the country has animal protection laws in place, they are not comprehensive and many non-native species are not adequately protected.

Sarawut Jitrabeab, deputy division chief of Bangkok's Metropolitan Police Bureau, told the Bangkok Post that the pet shop owner has been arrested before on similar charges.

Police believed the 14 lions were brought into the country using permits for sales to zoos but were instead being offered to private buyers. The pet shop owner reportedly said that the lions were shipped legally to Bangkok from Africa and were awaiting transport to a zoo in northeastern Thailand, although why two of the 16 white lions reported in the import documents were missing remained unexplained, according to the AP.

Officials confiscated the animals; the AP reports Thailand's Department of Natural Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation will oversee the animals' care. Police said once some of the animals could be released into the wild and others sent to zoos once the legal process is complete.