Trophy import
No CITES permit for the Spanish ibex — but bringing a trophy home isn't paperwork-free. Here's exactly what applies on US entry, and how we handle the export.
The Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica) does not appear on any CITES appendix — not I, II or III. That means no CITES permit is required to export your trophy from Spain or to bring it home. The African-style CITES friction many hunters expect simply does not apply to this species.
The ibex is still a protected animal in Europe — but through instruments that are separate from CITES: the Bern Convention (Appendix III) and the EU Habitats Directive (Annex V). Conservation-wise it is rated Least Concern by the IUCN. For context, the only Capra on CITES is the markhor (Capra falconeri) — a different animal entirely.
Importation is straightforward, but it is not paperwork-free — and we'd rather tell you exactly what applies than pretend otherwise. Two things travel with every trophy on US entry:
On entry
A USFWS Form 3-177 — the “Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or Wildlife” — is filed at the port of entry under 50 CFR Part 14. It is a declaration, not a permit: because the ibex is neither CITES-listed nor on the Endangered Species Act, no USFWS import permit is needed. Wildlife, including hunting trophies, generally clears through a designated USFWS wildlife port.
Sanitary clearance
Your trophy travels with a veterinary export health certificate to satisfy USDA / APHIS rules. Finished or taxidermy-mounted trophies — and hard-dried, cleaned bones, horns, hooves and hides — may generally be imported without further restriction; raw or unfinished parts are what require the health certificate (or an APHIS-approved establishment). The Spanish/EU certificate your shipper arranges satisfies this side.
Import rules change — confirm the current requirements with your shipper and your country's wildlife authority before you travel.
What we handle
We handle the export side from Spain and work with an experienced trophy shipper, so the declaration, the health certificate and the logistics are managed — not left to chance. Because the rules can move, we reconfirm what applies for your nationality and your travel dates rather than assume.
Good to know
No. The Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica) is not listed on any CITES appendix, so no CITES permit is required to export your trophy or bring it home. A USFWS Form 3-177 declaration and a veterinary export health certificate still apply on entry to the United States.
No — the species isn't CITES-listed. On entry you file a USFWS Form 3-177 declaration (a declaration, not a permit) through a designated wildlife port, and the trophy travels with a veterinary export health certificate for USDA/APHIS. We coordinate the export side with an experienced trophy shipper.
It is the “Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or Wildlife,” filed at the port of entry under 50 CFR Part 14. It is a declaration, not a permit — and because the Spanish ibex is neither CITES-listed nor on the US Endangered Species Act, no USFWS import permit is required. Wildlife, including hunting trophies, generally clears through a designated USFWS wildlife port.
Yes. Finished or taxidermy-mounted trophies — and hard-dried, cleaned bones, horns, hooves and hides — may generally be imported without further restriction. Raw or unfinished trophies must travel with a veterinary export health certificate, or be sent to an APHIS-approved establishment. The Spanish/EU veterinary export health certificate your shipper arranges is what satisfies this side.
We handle the export side and work with an experienced trophy shipper, and we confirm the current requirements before you travel. Import rules change, so we reconfirm what applies for your country and your travel dates rather than assume.
Regulations change — we reconfirm the current import requirements for your nationality and travel dates before you go.
Enquire
Tell us what you're after and when. We'll come back with an honest, all-in plan — no surprises.