This Monday, the Buenos Aires City Justice closed an illegal African hedgehog breeding center in the Balvanera neighborhood.
There, 87 specimens were rescued that were living crowded and in inadequate sanitary conditions.
The operation was ordered by the Criminal, Contraventional and Misdemeanor Court No. 25 after an investigation by the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Office (UFEMA) of CABA.
The address on Mexico Street at 2700 had already been the subject of a previous raid on October 30, 2024, when authorities seized 57 poodle dogs, including five pregnant females.
Despite the previous judicial intervention, the property owner resumed breeding and illegally selling animals, this time with hedgehogs.
Therefore, last month, 14 poodles were also rescued from the same breeding center, including pregnant females, 33 cages, and documentation of interest for the investigation.
Illegal hedgehog breeding center: how was the operation for its closure carried out
The raid was carried out within the framework of case No. 86004/2025-0 entitled “NN v/ Animal Protection Law – Mistreatment or Acts of Cruelty”.
The judicial measure was requested by UFEMA, under the direction of Dr. Blas Matías Michienzi, with the aim of stopping acts of animal abuse and rescuing the animals from the place.
The operation was carried out with personnel from the Environmental Crimes Division of the City Police, the General Directorate of Environmental Control, veterinarians, and personnel from the Judicial Investigations Corps.
The UFEMA investigation revealed that the illegal African hedgehog breeding center (Atelerix albiventris) operated as a supplier to several businesses in Buenos Aires City.
The animals were sold through social networks and distributed to different pet shops in Buenos Aires, forming an illegal network for the exotic fauna trade.
The analysis of the seized documentation allowed gathering compelling evidence confirming the illicit activity at the property.
“Crowding” and “injuries”: the critical condition of the hedgehogs
During the raid, 87 African hedgehog specimens were found: 27 adult females, 13 males, and 47 offspring. Six of these offspring were born during the operation itself.
The veterinarian noted that “the animals were in an inadequate, dirty place with abundant cobwebs,” as detailed by UFEMA.
Furthermore, “some specimens had eye and muzzle injuries due to the crowding in some cages.”
The cages themselves also “had an inadequate substrate for the species.”
Massive seizure: over 100 rescued animals
The total material seized in this operation included 87 African hedgehogs and 38 cages, with a seized value amounting to $10,300,000.
After the raid, the General Directorate of Environmental Control proceeded with the permanent closure of the property and the confiscation of all animals and cages.
The rescued specimens were then transferred by the Operational Logistics Sub-Management of the Government Control Agency to specialized organizations.
There, the specimens will receive the stabilization and necessary veterinary care for their recovery.
Dr. Nicolás Agustín Repetto, in charge of Court No. 25, ordered to ensure the well-being of all animals rescued from the illegal breeding center.
This operation represents progress in the fight against illegal trafficking of exotic fauna, recurrence of animal abuse, and clandestine breeding in Buenos Aires City.
