Somalia: Somaliland Detains Austrian Over Spiny-Tailed Lizard Smuggling

What the report says

Somaliland authorities have detained an Austrian national in Berbera, a port city in the Sahil region, after he was allegedly found trying to buy and collect spiny-tailed lizards, known locally as caasho-badhi. According to the report published by Horn Diplomat and distributed by AllAfrica, the arrest was carried out in a joint operation involving Somaliland police and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

Officials said the reptiles were allegedly being gathered with the aim of moving them to Europe. The ministry said it recovered containers and other equipment that it linked to the case, but it did not identify the man or say how many lizards were involved. It also did not immediately say whether any formal charges had been filed.

The animals at the center of the case are also known as Uromastyx, a group of spiny-tailed desert lizards found in parts of Africa and the Middle East. The incident has highlighted ongoing concerns in Somaliland about wildlife collection for the international exotic-pet trade, where reptiles and other animals can be captured and sold abroad. The government has urged residents to avoid illegal wildlife capture, sale or trafficking and to report suspicious activity to environment or security officials.