ILLEGAL ANIMALS CONFISCATED BY POLICE IN LIMA, 1997-08-26 (photo)

Peru's environmental police discovered hundreds of rare Amazon jungle animals, including this Mata-mata tortoise (L) and baby alligator, shown August 26, stuffed into boxes, ready to be smuggled to the United States, on August 24. Nearly half of the 787 animals, including iguanas, chameleons, alligators, tortoises, coloured frogs, anaconda and boa constrictor snakes, were found dead from suffocation in a storage hold opposite Lima's international airport. The animals, which were bound for Los Angeles, fetch high prices abroad as part of the burgeoning illegal traffic in animals. PERU ANIMALS