Hargeisa — Somaliland police and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change have detained an Austrian national in the port city of Berbera after he was allegedly caught attempting to purchase and collect spiny-tailed lizards, locally known as caasho-badhi.

The Ministry of Environment said the man was apprehended in a joint operation with police in the Sahil region.

"The Ministry of Environment, in cooperation with the police, arrested an Austrian national in Berbera who was collecting spiny-tailed lizards, locally known as caasho-badhi," the ministry said.

Authorities said the animals were allegedly being collected with the intention of taking them to Europe. Officials displayed containers and other equipment they said were connected to the case.

The ministry did not identify the Austrian national or specify how many lizards had been recovered. It also did not immediately say whether formal charges had been filed.

Spiny-tailed lizards, commonly known as Uromastyx, are reptiles distinguished by their thick, heavily spiked tails and are found in arid regions of Africa and the Middle East.

The case has raised concerns about the collection of Somaliland's wildlife for the international exotic-pet trade, in which reptiles and other wild animals can be captured and sold abroad.

The Somaliland government warned residents against illegally capturing, selling or trafficking wildlife and urged the public to report suspicious activities to the Environment Ministry or security authorities.

(Reporting by HornDiplomat News Desk)