Peru is said to be one of the richest countries on Earth when it comes to rare mammal fossils.

But what nature has preserved for hundreds of thousands of years thieves and traffickers now secretly dig up for export.

With arrests of smugglers doubling in recent years, a debate has been raised over whether these ancient remains should be moved to museums for research or left to be studied where they are found.

Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo reports from Peru.