Sale of Dog and Wolf Skins as Leopard and Tiger Skins in Tehran

Two street vendors who were selling dog and wolf skins under the guise of 'tiger' and 'leopard' skins at a Friday market in Tehran were arrested. Expert and microscopic examination of the hairs on these skins indicates that most of them were dog skins, with some wolf skins among them. These two vendors set up their stall on Friday, April 30, at a Friday market known as the Parvaneh Passage, in front of the Plasco building. The Parvaneh Passage is essentially a parking lot that is cleared out on Fridays to allow street vendors to operate. An eyewitness who saw wild animal skins being sold contacted the Tehran Environmental Protection Unit. The unit's forces arrived at the scene and then requested an expert to determine whether these skins belonged to wild animals or to animals of another species. Dr. Iman Memarian, a wildlife veterinarian who went to the scene as an expert, told Radio Farda: 'Morphological tests and microscopic examination of the hairs show that most of them were dog skins, and there were also some wolf skins among them.' One of the eyewitnesses of this arrest, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed in an interview with Radio Farda that some of the skins were clearly identifiable as dog skins, and those that were dyed clearly showed stencil patterns, for example, depicting leopard skin. An environmental expert also stated that it is unclear whether those who committed this act will face legal prosecution. If the killed animals were domesticated, the Environmental Organization cannot file a lawsuit against them. However, Iman Memarian stated that wolves are protected by the Environmental Organization and are considered a protected species in Iran, and based on this, these individuals (the accused) can be prosecuted. According to Article 680 of the Islamic Penal Code, killing a wolf incurs a fine of five million tomans, and depending on the judge's discretion, it may also result in imprisonment ranging from three months to three years.