Greek police have launched a criminal investigation after a dead, endangered hawksbill sea turtle was discovered hanging as a decorative ornament outside a private residence on the island of Paros — one of only a handful of confirmed sightings of the species anywhere in the Mediterranean.
A tourist photographed the carcass hanging beside the homeowner's front door and alerted environmental groups.
The Naxos Wildlife Protection society verified the images, prompting police to raid the property and confiscate the specimen.
Marine biologists expressed alarm at the discovery.
The hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and remains exceptionally rare in Mediterranean waters, making any specimen — living or dead — a significant find for conservationists, let alone one displayed as decor.
The unidentified homeowner initially told police he had found the dead turtle washed up on a local beach, then revised his account to say it had been given to him by an acquaintance who has since died. Local witnesses, however, told investigators the carcass had been mounted on the exterior wall for an extended period.
Greek and European Union law strictly prohibits the possession, collection, transport or trade of protected wildlife, including preserved remains.
Police have filed charges against the homeowner for violating national wildlife protection statutes.
The confiscated carcass has been sent to a marine research laboratory to determine its origin and cause of death.