The Veterinary Regulation Directorate (VRD) and the Commissioner for Animal Welfare have reacted to a recently published article exposed by The Maltese Herald about four abandoned lions and a panther at a farm in Naxxar.
The VRD confirmed that it launched an investigation, interrogating the owners of the farm, and found the enclosure was not registered under Subsidiary Legislation 439.19. It claimed that veterinary checks revealed that the animals are generally in good health, although one lion needs medical attention. The VRD disputed the claims of a dead lion but acknowledged that measures to secure the welfare of the animals began only recently.
The Commissioner also expressed concern and called for better regulation on the keeping of wild animals, saying Malta cannot cope with these cases.
Though these statements explain the actions now taken, it clearly appears that VRD has instituted these steps only after The Maltese Herald highlighted this case. This in itself raises a lot of questions regarding the sufficiency and timeliness of regulatory oversight in such cases.
The lack of proactive regulation regarding dangerous animals in Malta continues to put both the welfare of the animals and public safety at risk. The Maltese Herald will be following this case and reporting further as more information becomes available.
Newsroom
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