A man has been arrested after a large collection of sperm whale teeth was seized.
IMAGE SOURCE: TVP
Thames Valley Police said the 49-year-old from Grove, Oxfordshire, was arrested “on suspicion of offering for sale a specimen of an endangered species, namely whale teeth”.
The force’s rural crime taskforce said the ivory teeth were worth about £18,350.
The man has since been released under investigation.
The police operation was supported by the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit.
Sperm whales are protected by UK wildlife legislation. However, they still face a significant conservation threat as they continue to be commercially targeted for their ivory.
Source: BBC
