The objectives are to eradicate illegal mascotism in Badajoz and increase the involvement of Badajoz society to reduce this practice.

The illegal possession of native and exotic wild animals (illegal mascotism) is a problem for the conservation of biodiversity for several reasons. On the one hand, there is the often irreversible removal of specimens from wild populations and, on the other, exotic animals can come from illegal trafficking. In addition, their release or the fact that these animals escape can represent a problem for natural ecosystems.

A factor to take into account is that the illegal possession of these species of fauna denotes an insufficient environmental awareness on the part of the population that is made with these animals.

In provinces such as Badajoz, these cases are relatively frequent. 10-20% of the wildlife entries recorded by AMUS are attributable to illegal mascotism. Some of these animals are in dramatic condition.

The objectives set by the project “Prohibited pets, awareness strategy to prevent illegal mascotism and its impact on biodiversity” are:

• Eradicate illegal mascotism in Badajoz.
• To increase the capacity and involvement of Badajoz society to reduce illegal mascotism and prevent the release of exotic species into the natural environment.