They buy ten tortoises and a lizard for 6,000 dirhams in Marrakech: police intervene

A transaction filmed in the souks of Marrakech has triggered an investigation into the wildlife trade.

The scene took place at Rahba Lakdima, a tourist square located in the heart of the medina. A video circulated on social media shows foreign visitors buying several reptiles offered by shopkeepers.

Initial reports indicated that a single wild tortoise had been sold for 600 dirhams. Information subsequently released ultimately referred to a much larger lot: around ten tortoises and a lizard were allegedly purchased for a total amount close to 6,000 dirhams.

The circulation of these images quickly drew the authorities’ attention.

A commission from the National Agency for Water and Forests, accompanied by local authorities, went to Rahba Lakdima to inspect shops offering wild animals.

The operation led to the discovery of tortoises and several lizards, as well as animal skins and other reptiles displayed in various shops, reports Al3omk.

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The initial checks led the authorities to identify seven shops potentially linked to the possession or sale of these animals.

Reports were drawn up and case files prepared for transmission to the Marrakech Court of First Instance.

Reptiles and skins seized in several shops

The prosecutor’s office entered the case, and judicial police officers went to the medina with representatives of the local authorities.

This new intervention resulted in the seizure of additional reptiles and animal skins. People suspected of being involved in this trade were also arrested and then questioned as part of the investigation.

The seized live animals were handed over to the services of the National Agency for Water and Forests.

Investigators must now determine their origin, the circumstances in which they were captured, and whether the shopkeepers had the necessary authorizations to keep them and offer them for sale.

The investigation will therefore have to precisely identify the reptiles and verify whether displaying them in the souks complied with these rules.

Marrakech has already faced several cases of animal trafficking. In December 2023, the authorities carried out a record seizure of endangered reptiles at Marrakech airport.

The case also comes a few weeks after the launch of a petition calling on the authorities to end the tourist exploitation of several animals in Marrakech. The text, signed by more than 17,000 people, notably targeted the snakes and monkeys used around Jemaa el-Fna square.