According to the agency, reptiles were the most affected group, with 121,070 individuals reported, followed by birds (18,094) and mammals (10,926).

  Species with the highest number of recorded cases include the green iguana, the slider turtle (*jicotea*), the painted turtle, the red-footed tortoise, and the spectacled caiman.

  The departments of Bolivar, Magdalena, Sucre, and Cordoba accounted for the highest number of reports filed with authorities, the source noted.

  It further pointed out that, of the 164,929 recorded animals, 39,697 were released, 40,162 were placed under care in Care and Assessment Centers (CAV) or Care, Assessment, and Rehabilitation Centers (CAVR), and 36,580 died.

  There was no information regarding the final outcome for 41,723 cases, detailed the Ombudsman’s Office, whose investigation consolidated data on seizures, confiscations, apprehensions, and voluntary surrenders.

  The report emphasized that the animals recorded as affected do not represent the entirety of wildlife trafficking in Colombia; rather, the figure corresponds to the information available for analysis based on the reports received. jdt/rgh/ifs