KUALA LUMPUR: It's hard to remember all the scientific names of exotic animals and birds. The best way of avoiding mistakes is to bring along stacks of books for reference — even during a raid.

That was what a Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) team did when they checked on the seized exotic animals and birds in Taman Wahyu yesterday.

They arrived at 3pm after being notified by police, who had earlier raided the premises upon receiving a tip-off on stolen cars there.

Perhilitan officers brought along 20 hardcover books on exotic animals and birds to the scene to identify the seized species and check if they were protected.

They were at a raided workshop, where city CID chief Datuk Ku Chin Wah said police had recovered 38 cars of various makes and four lorries all reported stolen in the Klang Valley.

"We have also detained a 40-year-old man who is believed to be a runner for the syndicate."

He said police were also looking for the workshop owners and hoped to detain them soon, to shed light on the vehicle-theft syndicate's activities.

Meanwhile, Perhilitan and police officers were kept busy by more than 30 different types of local and imported birds, including a whitefaced Capuchin and several civet cats and snakes.

"The value of these birds is estimated to be around RM1 million," said Ku.

A Perhilitan officer said: "These exotic animals will probably be sold in both the local and foreign markets for a high price. We are identifying which are protected animals."

He said the suspects had good knowledge of exotic animals. "They were smart to place all the birds apart from the exotic animals, which were kept behind in another room."